(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Religions Working Together to Counter Violent Religious Extremism featured five panels exploring the challenge of violent religious extremism from the lens of various religious traditions.
The world’s leading religious leaders concluded their two-day “Religions Working Together to Counter Violent Religious Extremism” the first global multi-religious high-level conference on violent religious extremism after discussing the challenges of violent religious extremism and identifying collaborative actions to combat extremism.
The conference was hosted between December 12 and 13 in Abu Dhabi by the Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies and convened in cooperation with Religions for Peace.
The Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies gathers intellectuals and leading thinkers from around the world to clarify that Islam is a religion of peace and reconcile burning disputes. Religions for Peace is the world’s largest and most representative multi-religious coalition with a presence in over 90 countries.
“Religions Working Together to Counter Violent Religious Extremism” is the first global multi-religious high-level conference on violent religious extremism. This conference featured five panels exploring the challenge of violent religious extremism from the lens of various religious traditions inter-governmental and humanitarian perspectives and the multi-religious approach. The conference aimed to understand the drivers of violent religious extremism and identify religious and multi-religious capacities for combatting this threat to all of humanity.
Participants emphatically agreed that now is the time for action against violent religious extremism. High-level religious leaders and intergovernmental officials like Shaikh Abdullah bin Bayyah President of the Forum for Peace in Muslim Societies and Co-Moderator of Religions for Peace; Cardinal John Onaiyekan Archbishop of Abuja Nigeria and Co-Moderator of Religions for Peace; Nassir Abdulaziz Al Nasser High Representative United Nations Alliance of Civilisations; and Dr William F. Vendley Secretary-General Religions for Peace noted that one of the keys to defeating extremism is religious leaders’ capacities to educate and mobilise their congregations against extremism.
Religious leaders of all faiths concurred that it is their sacred duty in this fight against violent religious extremism to use their knowledge and influence to provide their followers with the correct explanations of their religious texts. Shaikh bin Bayyah and Cardinal Onaiyekan both empirically stated that their respective texts must be re-interpreted for their followers so that they are applicable to the conditions of modern day.
The conference emphasised that religious leaders must take an active role in developing the counter narrative by providing their followers with the authentic narrative. In the words of Dr. William Vendley “The primary narrative of each religion is about peace and human dignity let us collect and share the texts from all religious traditions that uphold human dignity.”
The conference closely examined the drivers of violent religious extremism including psychological and socio-economic drivers as well as the misuse of religious traditions and texts. Reverend Father Ayuso Guixot Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue stated that “we have to reach young people helping them live in a world of peace and justice. Young people need hope and jobs. Stagnant economies and poverty fuel extremism.”
The underlying theme echoed by all participants was that at the core of all religions is peace and respect for human dignity. Ayatollah Damad Head of Islamic Studies at the Academy of Sciences of the Islamic Republic of Iran explained that when there is a question of Quranic interpretation we must view the text from its core principle which is peace.
Multi-religious statement
This conference yielded a multi-religious statement which calls upon governments the United Nations and religious communities to work together leveraging their own unique strengths and abilities to counter violent extremism through the promotion of human dignity and rejection of violent extremist narratives. Religions for Peace presented its three-year global action plan that engages its wide network to utilise education advocacy and strategic humanitarian assistance in the fight against violent extremism.
Nassir Abudulzaiz the United Nations High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) confirmed this commitment of the UN to work with religious communities by reminding the group of UNAOC’s “work with religious leaders in many different parts of the world often through our longstanding relationship with Religions for Peace to amplify their voices and more effectively disseminate messages of pluralism to their constituencies”. The meeting also included a message of hope by all a belief that we must have hope to combat violent extremism which is born of despair.
At the end of this blessed gathering the participants express their gratitude to the United Arab Emirates and to the President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan; and General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces; and Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foreign Minister of the UAE for hosting this important meeting.