“We are working on opening communication and channels of dialogue with followers of divine messages and Eastern ideologies with a view to realizing the message of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him),” said MWL Secretary-General Dr. Abdullah Al-Turki.
Followers of divine messages clearly referred to Jews and Christians, and Eastern ideologies referred primarily to Hinduism and Buddhism.
During yesterday’s sessions, delegates stressed that dialogue with people of other faiths should not be confined to religious leaders. “Yes, we should talk to different independent religious groups, but we should also talk to various personalities who are influential in their respective fields, such as media personalities, intellectuals and academics,” said Al-Turki.
He said the idea is to let people of other faiths understand that Prophet Muhammad was sent as a messenger of glad tidings to all of mankind as mentioned in the Holy Qur’an. Al-Turki said Muslim scholars and academics have acknowledged that followers of other religions have presented good solutions to the many crises facing mankind.
“They cannot and should not be ignored. When we start talking we will be able to build a better mechanism of understanding,” he said.
“With dialogue we can confront the forces that instigate people against Islam and consider it an enemy of contemporary civilization.”
According to Al-Turki, dialogue is a response to Qur’anic order and a follow-up to Prophetic guidance.
“Dialogue is deep-rooted in our culture … Islam has clearly explained the principles of dialogue and areas where dialogue is prohibited. The Prophet’s guidance is the best example of translating and achieving this dialogue,” he said.
Al-Turki said the Makkah-based MWL, which is organizing this historic event at the urging of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, is a nongovernmental organization engaged in clearing misconceptions about Islam. “The MWL strives to unite the ranks of Muslims and promote understanding among followers of other cultures. We reject all acts of violence and terrorism,” he added.
Delegates were divided on the possible outcome of the process. “Do whatever you want to do; those who are against Islam will continue to remain so. Their animosity is deep-seated, and they will continue to abuse our religion and our beloved Prophet,” said Dr. Aamer Liaquat Hussain, producer and anchor of a popular program called “Aalim Online” on Pakistan’s Geo television. He referred to the controversial films and blasphemous cartoons that have angered the Muslim world.
“I am appalled by the severity and the insulting nature of the attack. We Muslims believe in all the Prophets of Allah. We name our children Yaqub and Ishaq,” Hussain said. “Can the followers of other religions show us one example of they naming their children Muhammad or Ahmed?”
Shaukat Piracha, a news anchor on Pakistan’s Aaj TV, said Muslims have to follow the policy of engagement. “It will pay in the end. Western societies are educated societies. It is the job of our intellectuals to make them understand our sensitivities.”
He said disrespect was not reserved just for Islam. “Western societies are highly secular in nature. They make fun of all religions, including their own,” Piracha said. “Cracking jokes about religious heroes and prophets is a norm in those societies. … Through dialogue, we can urge them to understand our point of view. We need to make them realize the intensity of our love for our beloved Prophet (pbuh). We need to sensitize them about our religion. Talking will help.”
Professor Akhtarul Wasey of India’s Jamia Millia Islamia University felt Muslims should not focus on fringe elements. “There are extremists in all societies, but they are in a minority. We should not hold ourselves back in the face of their onslaught. In fact, we should double up our efforts to reach out to those who are willing to understand our point of view,” he said.
At the conference, Wasey underscored the need for learning from the 1,000 years of dialogue that Muslims have been engaged with in Asia. “Here is a fine example in India and Indonesia where multicultural, multilingual, multiracial communities have coexisted for centuries. The Muslim world can make the most of this experience as it goes ahead with process of dialogue with people of other faiths.”
Hassan Saleemi and his wife, Habeebah Elahee, who host the popular “Hassan and Habeebah Show” on the UK-based Islam Channel, said the process of dialogue should not involve religious people of other faiths but should instead focus on the secularists and the agnostics. “In the UK, we face problems not from the religious people. They are not insulting Islam … It is these agnostics and atheists who are problematic,” Saleemi said as his wife nodded in agreement. “We are part of many local initiatives, and we interact with many Christian priests … They are not the problem at all. Of course, there may be some exceptions, but by and large the religious people are not the problem. The problem is this large section of Godless people who insult Islam and criticize Islam. We should devise a way to engage them,” he said.
Saleemi said Muslims in Britain and the US should be at the forefront, giving practical shape to all that is being said at the conference. “We are an integral part of those societies; we understand them; we know the problems; we know the cultural sensitivities; therefore, we are in the best possible position to conduct this dialogue.”
Saleemi said there should be funding to train journalists of high caliber who can then carry the message of Islam in the mainstream media. “Funding is lacking,” he said. “That is one area that needs to be examined.”
One American delegate, who gave an impassioned presentation at one of the sessions, said King Abdullah cannot be thanked enough for this historic initiative. “We in the West are bearing the brunt of this attack on Islam,” he said. “We understand the need for dialogue because we are suffering. Those living in Muslim majority states may not fully grasp the importance of such a conference. We do, and we thank King Abdullah.”
