Prime Minister Calls for Inter-Faith Dialogue

(ANS) – The Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has called for an intensified inter-faith dialogue. Abdullah introduced himself to the World Council of Churches (WCC) Faith and Order commission meeting in Kuala Lumpur , August 3, as “a Muslim who wants to initiate a dialogue with his Christian friends”. Abdullah stressed that such a Christian gathering in a Muslim country gave him “great hope that, together, we can fight the perception that religions are at war, and that civilizations are colliding”. “Your mere presence in Malaysia is a powerful statement against (…) the rhetoric of hate and distrust that is so prevalent in the world today.” Abdullah spoke about his view of religions in the world. “The lines of conflict today between religions and civilizations are evident,” he said. The “dangerous but dominant view” that “this is a battle between good and evil” exists “on both sides of the divide.” Quoting the Quran and the Bible, Abdullah emphasized that “there are common values to our faiths: peace, friendship, cooperation”. Through these shared values, Christians and Muslims should address world problems like the Palestinian issue or the conflict in Iraq as well as a “globalization that benefits the rich and not the poor”.