World Conference on Dialogue concludes, asserts unity of mankind, diversity of cultures, civilizations

Madrid declaration commends appeal of Makkah, stresses respect for religions

Madrid conference rejects theories calling for clash of civilizations

Under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the three-day World Conference on Dialogue organized by the World Muslim League concluded on Friday afternoon its deliberations at Auditorium Hotel in the Spanish capital- Madrid.

The session began with an address by former Portuguese President Jorge Sampaio, the current World Higher Commissioner for the Alliance of Civilizations, which was read on his behalf by Iqbal Ridah.

In his speech, Sampaio underlined the importance of the conference and expressed appreciation for the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz for his initiative to convene the conference.

He said the allegations which say that religions are the cause of conflicts in the contemporary world are untrue.

The former President noted that most of the conflicts are mainly for political reasons, adding that discrimination, social injustice and political imbalances have a role in the eruption of wars.

He pointed out that the positive impact of heavenly religions is found in the religious teachings which urge their followers to adhere to their right to an honorable life.

He reviewed the efforts of the UN in bringing about peace and coexistence in the various parts of the world through the initiatives and conferences held in this respect.

On behalf of the guests of the conference, President of the Pontifical Council for Interfaith Dialogue Jean-Louis Pierre Tauran said dialogue which is based on love and respect is the best way for realizing peace among the nations of this world.

He thanked King Abdullah for his initiative in this respect.

He noted that through the deliberations of the conference it has become clear that it will be possible to meet and respect the beliefs and learn new methods for dialogue.

Secretary General of the Muslim World League (MWL), Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulmohsin Al-Turki, then delivered a speech in which he emphasized this global dialogue held in Madrid that stemmed from the call and patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud and organized by the MWL, contained distinct personalities of followers of the revealed Messages and oriental philosophies particularly those who have experience in dialogue around the world.

He explained that the participants of the conference had a desire for a serious and fruitful dialogue enriched by sincere cooperation among followers of the revealed Messages and oriental philosophies in order to contribute to the delight of the mankind, and mitigate their crises.

He said that the participants expressed the need to cooperate in order to raise the virtuous values, to deepen the spirit of cooperation and tolerance, to contribute to the preservation of the environment created by Allah Almighty for the service of the human beings, to preserve the family and communities and to deepen faith in God.

He added "The speeches of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and King Juan Carlos at the opening of the conference were starting points of constructive discussions for the conferees".

The MWL's Secretary General noted that the MWL appreciates the efforts exerted to make the conference successful.

He said the MWL looks for greater cooperation with various organizations, institutions and personalities.

He thanked Allah Almighty and the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz for patronizing the conference.

He also thanked King Juan Carols of Spain and his Prime Minister (President of the Govt.) Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero for their participation in the opening of the conference.

He thanked the Spanish officials for their cooperation to make the conference successful.

Dr. Al-Turki also thanked the Ulema (Islamic Scholars) and researchers who have contributed to enriching the conference by their researches and discussions.

He thanked the media for following up the conference.

Following that, MWL Assistant Secretary General Dr. Abdulrahman bin Abdullah Al-Zaid read Madrid Declaration issued by the World Conference on Dialogue. Following is the text of Madrid Declaration:

"In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

Praise be to God, Lord of the Universe, and may the peace and blessings of God be upon all His prophets and messengers.

In response of the invitation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Muslim World League organized the World Conference on Dialogue in Madrid, Spain, during the period 13 to 15 / Rajab / 1429 AH, corresponding to 16 to 18 / July / 2008.

The participants in the conference; followers of the world religions and cultures express their profound gratitude for the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for his generous patronage and inauguration of the conference and for his speech to the participants, which they considered as a major document in the conference.

Furthermore, the participants extend their deep thanks and appreciation for His Majesty Juan Carlos the 1st of Spain for his comprehensive welcome speech and for H.E. Mr. Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, the prime minister of Spain for his participation in the opening session and for his efforts in the dialogue of civilizations. The participants also thank the Spanish Government for having the conference in Spain. This great country is home to a historical heritage that belongs to the followers of different religions and has contributed to human civilization.

The participants also recall the objectives of the UN Charter, which calls for exerting collective efforts aiming at the enhancement of international relations, the creation of an exemplary human community and the promotion of dialogue as a civilized way for cooperation.

The participants further remind all people of the Declaration of the UN General Assembly in 1994, which called for tolerance and the spread of the culture of peace, and also ask that they recall the declarations of 1995 as the Year of Tolerance and 2001 as the Year of Dialogue Among Civilizations.

The participants commend the Appeal of Makkah issued by the World Islamic Conference on Dialogue, which was called for by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and organized by the Muslim World League earlier this year (2008).

The participants build on the agreement among the followers of religions and prominent cultures regarding the value of dialogue as the best way of mutual understanding and cooperation in human relations as well as in peaceful coexistence among nations.

In light of the above, the participants affirm the following principles:

1- Unity of humankind in the original creation and the equality among human beings irrespective of their colors, ethnic backgrounds and cultures.

2- Purity of the nature of humans; as they were created liking good and disliking evil, inclining to justice and avoiding injustice. Such pure nature leads humans to show mercy and to seek certainty and belief.

3- Diversity of cultures and civilizations among people is a sign of God and a cause for human advancement and prosperity.

4- The heavenly messages aims at realizing the obedience of people to their Creator and achieving happiness, justice, security and peace for humankind. These messages seek to enhance ways of understanding and cooperation among people despite differences in their origins, colors and languages. They also call for spreading virtue through wisdom and politeness, and rejecting extremism and terrorism.

5- Respecting heavenly religions, preserving their high status, condemning any insult to their symbols, and combating the exploitation of religion in the instigation of racial discrimination.

6- Observing peace, honoring agreements and respecting unique traditions of peoples and their right to security, freedom and self-determination are the basis for building good relations among all people. Achieving this is a major objective of all religions and prominent cultures.

7- The significance of religion and moral values and the need for humans to revert to their Creator in their fight against crime, corruption, drugs, and terrorism, and in preserving the institution of the family and protecting societies from deviant behaviors.

8- The family is the basic unit of society and its nucleus. Protecting it from disintegration is a cornerstone for any secure and stable society.

9- Dialogue is one of the essentials of life. It is also one of the most important means for knowing each other, cooperation, exchange of interests and realizing the truth, which contributes to the happiness of humankind.

10- The preservation of the environment and its protection from pollution and other dangers are considered a major object of all religions and cultures.

"Mindful of accomplishing the above principles through dialogue, the conference has thoroughly reviewed the process of dialogue and its obstacles, as well as the catastrophes that afflicted humanity in the 20the Century. The Conference noted that terrorism is one of the most serious obstacles confronting dialogue and coexistence.

"Terrorism is a universal phenomenon that requires unified international efforts to combat it in a serious, responsible and just way. This demands an international agreement on defining terrorism, addressing its root causes and achieving justice and stability in the world.

"Based on the above, the conference has adopted the following recommendations:

1- To reject theories that call for the clash of civilizations and cultures and to warn of the danger of campaigns seeking to deepen conflicts and destabilize peace and security.

2- To enhance common human values, to cooperate in their dissemination within societies and to solve the problems that hinder their achievement.

3- To disseminate the culture of tolerance and understanding through dialogue so as to be a framework for international relations through holding conferences and symposia, as well as developing relevant cultural, educational and media programs.

4- To agree on international guidelines for dialogue among the followers of religions and cultures through which moral values and ethical principles, which are common denominators among such followers, so as to strengthen stability and achieve prosperity for all humans.

5- To work on urging governmental and non-governmental organizations to issue a document that stipulates respect for religions and their symbols, the prohibition of their denigration and the repudiation of those who commit such acts.

To fulfill these desired objectives of dialogue by this conference, the participants have agreed on adopting the following:

1- Forming a working team to study the problems hindering dialogue and preventing it from realizing its desired results. Its task is also to prepare a study that provides visions for the solution of these problems and to coordinate among bodies promoting world dialogue.

2- Cooperation among religious, cultural, educational, and media establishments to deepen and consolidate ethical values, to encourage noble social practices and to confront sexual promiscuity, family disintegration and other vices.

3- Organizing inter-religious and inter-cultural meetings, conducting research, executing media programs and using the Internet and other media for the dissemination of a culture of peace, understanding and coexistence.

4-Promoting the issue of dialogue among the followers of religions, civilizations and cultures within youth, cultural, educational, and media activities.

5- Calling upon the UN General Assembly to support the results reached by this conference. It is strongly recommended to make use of these recommendations in enhancing dialogue among the followers of religions, civilizations and cultures through conducting a special UN session on dialogue.

The participants express their hope that the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud will use his good office with the concerned bodies in convening this session as soon as possible. It will be the pleasure of the members of this conference to take part in that session through a representative delegation, members of which are to be chosen by the Muslim World League.

In abiding with the agreed-upon principles and concepts, the participants do emphasize that it is essential for this world dialogue to be open and that its sessions be held periodically.

The participants have extended their profound gratitude to King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the King of Saudi Arabia, for his kind initiation and invitation to this world dialogue. They have applauded the continued efforts made by the league in the fields of dialogue and cooperation among nations and peoples, hoping that the common objectives, for which humankind aspires, are accomplished".

Issued in Madrid, 15 Rajab 1429 H., 18 July 2008.

Secretary General of the Muslim World League Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulmohsin Alturki, Chairman of the World Conference on Dialogue, said the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz has an international oriented vision, and realizes that divine religions and followers of religions and significant cultures have common values and great stock to confront and solve human problems.

Dr. Alturki stated, "We should focus on this vision. The conference bears neither political orientation nor a certain ideology, but advances a human vision. Accordingly, invitations have been sent out to the participants as individuals of distinguished personalities in the field of religion or the field of dialogue or the human relations."

In an address at the joint press conference with the Advisor to the United Arab Emirates President for Cultural Affairs Dr. Ezzedeen Mustafa Ibrahim, held after the conclusion of the conference, Alturki said the Declaration of Madrid focused on a shared vision and on principles subject to the agreement of all, and its recommendations have been welcomed by all.

He stressed the need for the integration of both popular and official efforts to ensure the success of the dialogue so that religions, cultures and values have an effect on politics and global relations.

Afterwards, Dr. Alturki answered reporters' questions explaining that there is a desire to transform the dialogue and its importance through the initiative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to become international because the Declaration of Madrid focused on some issues that require international measures and the United Nations is the organization that hosts all countries of the world.

Dr. Alturki said the Declaration of Madrid did not contain an invitation to hold another conference like this one, but focused on spreading the culture of dialogue through symposiums and conferences all over the world as it has called for the formation of a team to study the obstacles of dialogue and consider solutions to smooth these obstacles, adding that the recommendations of the conference are meant for all institutions of dialogue in the world.

He stated that the Muslim World League and other institutions in the Islamic or non-Islamic countries are concerned and will be happy to hold many symposiums or meetings on the issues of dialogue.

Dr. Alturki said the Jews are followers of a significant religion and Moses, peace be upon him, is one of the prophets respected by Muslims.

He added, "There is no problem between the religion of Islam and Judaism or Christianity, but the problem might lie in the conduct of the followers and their practices."

On the role of media in disseminating the culture of dialogue, Dr. Alturki stressed the importance for media people to be knowledgeable of world conditions as these relate to cultures, religions, or philosophies, so that media people can serve better in this field.

On the possibility of establishing a television channel devoted to dialogue, Dr. Alturki said this matter is of interest and under consideration and discussion. It might not be just one channel but more than one because dialogue allows for international communication among cultures and civilizations, and helps present better perceptions and knowledge of one another.

Dr. Alturki stressed the need for the media in various countries of the world to focus on the common human denominator because focusing on negative aspects leads to no results.

On the issue of continuing the dialogue, the Advisor to the United Arab Emirates President for Cultural Affairs Dr. Ezzedeen Mustafa Ibrahim said, "I heard the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in Riyadh saying clearly that it will not be just one conference but will be followed by other meetings in other parts of the world."

The advisor added that there is a proposal to hold a meeting or conference in Japan adding that Islam promotes dialogue with anyone since it is open to all."