Vatican City, 19 January 2016 (VIS) –
"Interreligious Dialogue and Extremism: reasons and remedies"
was the title of the First Arab Thinkers Forum, held in Abu Dhabi
from 17 to 18 January at the Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies
and Research. The only non-Muslim speaker was Fr. Miguel Angel Ayuso
Guixot, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious
Dialogue, who intervened during the first session during which the
Grand Mufti of Lebanon, Sheikh Abdul Latif Daryan, also gave an
address. In the other sessions there were contributions from various
figures from the Arab Emirates, Egypt and Morocco.
Fr. Ayuso Guixot structured his
discourse around five key points: extremism, the culture of
encounter, the key role of religious leaders, the need for sincere
dialogue and the importance of prayer. He emphasised that it was not
his intention to pursue considerations on the economic, political,
social and cultural reasons for extremism, well known to those
present, preferring to focus instead on Pope Francis' recommendations
to the international community on how to construct peace which can
serve to counter extremism.
He began by citing the Holy Father's
address to the Diplomatic Corps on 11 January this year, in which he
affirmed that "extremism and fundamentalism find fertile ground
not only in the exploitation of religion for purposes of power, but
also in the vacuum of ideals and the loss of identity – including
religious identity – which dramatically marks the so-called West.
This vacuum gives rise to the fear which leads to seeing the other as
a threat and an enemy, to closed-mindedness and intransigence in
defending perceived notions. Yet the greatest challenge we face is
that overcoming indifference in order to work together for peace, a
good which must constantly be sought, by the promotion of a 'culture
of encounter'. … Pope Francis believes that the motivation for
interreligious dialogue must rest in the mutual commitment to peace
and justice, thus making them the basic principles for all
exchanges".
With reference to the key role of
religious leaders, the secretary of the Pontifical Council for
Interreligious Dialogue underlined that "extremist tendencies,
irrespective of their origin, are actually among the most dangerous
threats to world peace and security", and are incompatible with
a truly religious ethic. Consequently, there is a need for "genuine
effort by religious leaders and opinion makers to identify those
persons who portray false beliefs and behaviours as part of their
religious ideology". Political leaders "must support this
campaign of awareness in order to prevent extremism in society and to
lay the groundwork for moderation", has said, adding that "As
religious leaders, we are obliged to denounce all violations against
human dignity and human rights. Human life, a gift of God the
Creator, possesses a sacred character. As such, any violence that
seeks religious justification warrants the strongest condemnation
because the Omnipotent is the God of life and peace".
In relation to the need for sincere
interreligious dialogue, the prelate underlined that believers are
united in the path of life, starting from our own identify for the
good of our brothers and sisters. "Every one of us offers the
witness of our identity to others and engages in dialogue with
others. Then dialogue can move on to theological questions. But even
more important and beautiful is to walk together without betraying
our own identity, without disguising it, without hypocrisy".
Finally he recalled that "we
believers have no recipe for these problems, but we have one great
resource: prayer. As believers we pray. We must pray. Prayer is our
treasure, which we draw from according to our respective traditions,
to request the gifts for which humanity longs".
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