World scholars for interfaith dialogue

[Al-khiyal]

7 May, 2007 -- More than 150 scholars from the Muslim, Christian and Jewish faiths are expected for the Fifth Doha Conference of Inter-Faith Dialogue which begins today at the Marriott Hotel.

The topic of the three-day event, which would see participants from different countries, is the spiritual dimension of faith and co-existence of human societies.

The opening session begins at 7pm with Qatar University’s College of Shariah and Islamic Studies dean Prof Aishaa Yousef al-Mannai as moderator. The speakers are Prof Ahmed Mohamed El-Tayeb (President, Al-Azhar University, Egypt), Bishop George Saliba (Syrian Orthodox Church, Archbishop of Mount Lebanon, Lebanon), Rabbi Rene S Sirat (UNESCO Chair of the Knowledge Exchange between Religions, France).

The first session tomorrow, on Complexity of Issues in Interfaith Dialogue, will have Prof Ahemd Taleb al-Ibrahimi from Algeria as moderator. The speakers are Prof Soufy H Abou Taleb, Egypt (Dialogue and its Dilemmas), Dr Raquel Ukeles, US (Fundamentalism that rejects Dialogue), Dr Fawzia al-Ashmawi, Switzerland (Muslim Women and the West), Joseph Cumming, US (Dilemma of the Divine unity and human diversity), and Prof Ali al-Samman, Egypt (Image of Islam in the West).

The discussions and dialogue that follows will be moderated by Dr Yousuf M al-Sidiqi, Qatar.

The second session is on Common Spiritual Values and their impact on Peaceful Co-Existence. The moderator is Sheikh Mohamed Al-Habeeb Belkhoja, Saudi Arabia. The speakers are Dr Youhanna Golta, Egypt (Behavioural manifestations of spiritual dimensions of faith), Prof Mohamed Mustafa Azzam, Morocco (Spiritual Unity and Human Communication Perspectives), Dr Bill Sachs, US (Spirituality of religious rituals as a foundation for interfaith understanding), Rabbi Douglas Krantz, US (Searching for religious souls as a foundation for interfaith understanding), Prof Hussam al-Deen Farfoor, Syria (Spiritual Co-Existence as a basis for Cultural and Civilisational Co-operation).

The ensuing discussions and dialogue are to be moderated by Steven Cohen from the US.

On Wednesday, the programme will begin with the third session, Mysticism the Spirit of Revealed Religions, having Prof Saeed Harib from the UAE as moderator. The speakers are Dr Souad al-Hakim, Lebanon (Judeo-Christian Flavour in Sufism, The Model of Ibn Arabi), John Taylor, US (Religious Spirituality and Dialogue), Jerald Whitehouse, Venezuela (Mysticism the Spirit of Revealed Religions, Christian Perspective), Rabbi David Lazar, US (Mysticism the Spirit of Revealed Religion, Jewish Perspective).

The discussions and dialogue will be moderated by Dr Mohamed Ben Breika from Algeria.

The fourth and final Session, on Practical Recommendations for a Spiritual Communication among religions, will have Dr Karl W Ernest, US, as moderator. The speakers are Jacob Bandar, US (Islamic-Jewish Dialogue and Values of Peace), Fr Vitorio Yanari, Italy (Mary- Isaac, a Saint from Qatar), Mohamed Mudather Ali, Pakistan (Spiritual Communication among Religions, The Model of Nizamuddin Auwlia).

The discussions and dialogue will be moderated by Dr Zahra al-Deen from China.

World scholars for interfaith dialogue

[Al-khiyal]

DOHA, May 10, 2007 • An Iranian delegate stunned the audience at an international inter-faith dialogue here yesterday when he angrily interrupted an American panelist who said Tehran wanted to eliminate all the Jews in Israel.

Joseph Ehrenkrenz was in the middle of his speech when Mohamed Sadiq Husseini shouted back at him.

"Ya, Yahud!," (Oh, Jews!), he said loudly, putting his microphone on, "Iran does not have any such agenda. What you are saying is a lie. Contrarily, your designs are suspect…Look, what you are doing at Guantanamo Bay."

Ehrenkrenz said that in the 1930s, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem congratulated Hitler for his anti-Jewish stance and "sought his help".

While the Jews may be targeting Muslims in this region, the latter have killed the former in several countries around the world, including Argentina, France and the US, he said.

The biggest challenge before the rabbis (Jewish spiritual leaders) today is to protect the community. Palestinians have influenced Muslims around the world. "We are getting threats from Tehran. Their decision is to eliminate all the Jews in Israel. The UN is not taking any action," said Ehrenkrenz.

No sooner than he finished his sentence, than Husseini, who is advisor at the General Secretariat for the Centre for Iran-Arab Cooperation in Tehran, interrupted him with an angry protest, speaking in Arabic.

When he was through, Ehrenkrenz responded coolly saying that since he did not have the headphone (to listen to the English translation), he did not know what he said. "But it was rude of you," was all he commented, insisting: "We want to protect the Jewish community."

Husseini was later engrossed in talks with several Arab delegates outside the venue for a while, who seemed to be appreciative of what he did.

There were five panelists discussing 'Mysticism: the Spirit of Revealed Religions' at the 5th Doha Conference on Inter-Faith Dialogue, with Ehrenkrenz being one of the speakers.

Husseini's interruption took place during the 'discussions and dialogue session' when the speakers were provided an opportunity to reply to comments and questions from the audience. The session was moderated by Algeria's Dr Mohamed Ben Breika.

Iran delegate confronts Jewish speaker from U.S.

[Al-khiyal]

DOHA, May 10, 2007 • Jewish spiritual leaders (rabbis) have not been silent on the issue of ill-treatment of the people of Palestine by Israel, a rabbi from New York said yesterday.

Roland Matalon said, intervening during discussions at an international inter-faith dialogue here yesterday, that accusations that rabbis have been moot spectators of the atrocities being committed on Palestinians by Israel are untrue.

"The rabbis have never been silent on this issue. We have been talking about the sufferings of the people of Palestine. We are for restoring their dignity. We want two states existing side by side where the Palestinians and Jews could live in peace as neighbours," said Matalon. "We are not only praying for this to happen. We are working towards this end."

He was responding to comments made by the Mufti of Jerusalem, Dr (Sheikh) Tayseer Rajab Al Tamimi that while Israel was perpetrating atrocities on innocent Palestinians and killing old men, women and children, the rabbis have been watching the gory goings on in silence.

Justice has so far not been done (to Palestinians), Matalon admitted responding to Al Tamimi's accusations.

The discussions were being held after a panel of experts spoke of the role of mysticism in burying the differences among the follower of the revealed faiths (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) and bringing them together.

Speakers included Dr Souad Al Hakim, from Lebanon; Joseph Ehrenkrenz, from the US; David Lazar, from Israel; John Taylor, from the US; and Jerald Whitehouse from Venezuela. Professor Saad Harib, from the UAE; and Dr Mohamed Ben Breika, from Algeria, were the moderators.

A number of ideas to encourage mysticism (which remains overshadowed by materialism) were floated so as to help curb extremism and among them was to begin cultural exchanges between Israel and Palestine and people-to-people dialogue.

Lazar, in his address, suggested that a beginning to help narrow the yawning Muslim-Jewish divide can be made if Muslims begin learning the basics about Judaism and vice versa.

He said he had five daughters and all of them study the Holy Quran and Bible, aside from their own religious holy book. "Let's make a beginning," he said.

In remarks to this newspaper later, he said that the Doha Conference has proved quite fruitful since it provides an opportunity for Muslim, Christian and Jewish religious leaders to interact.

One-to-one meetings between delegates representing the three different faiths have been taking place on the sidelines of the convention on sensitive community and religious issues and on how to further dialogue, especially between Muslim and Jewish leaders.

"We will keep in touch with one another through e-mail and personal visits. This is important," said Lazar. "I am feeling quite at home here. Last year (during the last inter-faith dialogue), it was my first visit to an Arab country, so I was a bit nervous," he said.

We have been talking about sufferings of Palestinians: Rabbi

[Al-khiyal]

DOHA, May 10, 2007 • The fifth Doha Conference of Inter-faith Dialogue concluded here yesterday with a call for social, educational and media policies to avoid stereotypes which feed phobias and hostilities between religions. The three-day conference, hosted by the College of Shariah and Islamic Studies at the Qatar University, was attended by about 150 delegates representing three prominent world religions- Islam, Christianity and Judaism.

Dr Aisha Al Manni, Dean of the Faculty of Shariah at Qatar University read out the final declaration of the conference at the concluding session, where the participants came out with their views and recommendations on the future course of the dialogue.

The statement fell short of any reference to the two regional issues – Iraq and Palestine – that crept into the discussions in most of the panel sessions.

The conference categorically denounced and disapproved the desecration of religious sites and defamation of all religious symbols and figures.

“We appeal for social, educational and media policies to avoid violent, disrespectful and untruthful stereotypes which feed phobias and hostilities between and within all religions," said the statement. The participants recommended the introduction of disciplines like comparative study of religion, including its philosophical, social and spiritual dimensions, in the curricula of universities and institutions of higher education.

“Whereas spiritual values form the core of all religious traditions and a severe dearth of these values is evident in all religious communities, it is incumbent upon all religious traditions to emphasise the proper dissemination of those values among their followers.. Therefore we would like to see encouragement of inter-faith education at every appropriate level, for example by the establishment of Chairs for spiritual values in various universities and institutions for the promotion of spiritual values," added the statement.

The participants committed to accompany the work of the newly set up Doha International Centre for Inter-faith Dialogue with exchange of information, and practical support, "where possible".

The delegates decided to send a message of their expression of gratitude to the Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani for establishing the Doha Centre as an implementation of the Draft Resolution of the third Doha Conference on Inter-faith Dialogue.

Meet calls for policies to avoid stereotypes