Christians and Muslims condemn extremism and violence committed in the name of religion

Vatican City, 27 November 2014 (VIS) – The Centre for Interreligious Dialogue of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organisation and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue held their Ninth Colloquium of dialogue from 24 to 26 November in Teheran, Iran, under the joint chairmanship of Abuzar Ibrahimi Turkaman, president of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organisation, and Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. At the end of the meeting, the participants agreed on the following:

1. Two decades of dialogue between the abovementioned institutions have provided the occasion for better knowledge and mutual understanding;

2. The participants emphasised that Christian-Muslim constructive dialogue plays a crucial role in making a better society;

3. Spirituality is a both a divine gift and the fruit of a human journey leading to truth;

4. A genuine spirituality enables us to recognise God’s presence and action within ourselves and in the world;

5. The media are called to play their distinctive role in the promotion of positive relations between Christians and Muslims;

6. The participants condemned all kinds of extremism and violence, especially committed in the name of religion.

The participants decided to hold the next colloquium in Rome in 2016, which will be preceded by a preparatory meeting 2015.