At a Christian-Muslim conference in Geneva this week, participants agreed to build a network for “peace teams” to intervene in crises where religious differences are invoked as the cause of the dispute. The idea is that religious differences may not be the real problem in a so-called religious conflict, but rather a means to mobilise the masses in a dispute …

High-level Christian and Muslim leaders meeting in Geneva to build a “common future” together have issued a joint statement condemning the deadly attack against a Catholic church in Baghdad. In the statement, they “condemn this inhumane act that contradicts all religious teachings, and Middle Eastern culture that enabled people to coexist peacefully for many centuries”. The joint statemnt was undersigned …

“Our theology is not the same,” Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal of Jordan said to Christians, “but we are all in the same boat.” The prince was addressing an assembly of Christians and Muslims gathered in Geneva, Switzerland this week as part of a four-day international consultation on relations between the faiths. People of faith face the same problems …

Christian and Muslim leaders are gathered in Geneva for a high-level interfaith dialogue on how to build strong and sustainable relationships between the two groups and how the religious communities can use their resources to transform their communities. The four-day event titled, “Transforming Communities: Christians and Muslims Building a Common Future,” is inspired by the historic 2007 letter by 138 …

(Reuters) – Christian and Muslim leaders agreed on Thursday to set up “rapid deployment teams” to try to defuse tensions when their faiths are invoked by conflicting parties in flashpoints such as Nigeria, Iraq, Egypt or the Philippines. Meeting this week in Geneva, they agreed the world’s two biggest religions must take concrete steps to foster interfaith peace rather than …

Christian and Muslim leaders agreed on Thursday to set up “rapid deployment teams” to try to defuse tensions when their faiths are invoked by conflicting parties in flash-points such as Nigeria, Iraq, Egypt or the Philippines. Meeting this week in Geneva, they agreed the world’s two biggest religions must take concrete steps to foster interfaith peace rather than let themselves …

High-ranking Muslim and Christian leaders as well as scholars and interfaith practitioners will gather from 1-4 November 2010 for an international consultation on Christian and Muslim concerns. The meeting will take place at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, home of the World Council of Churches and a number of other internationally-focused organisations. The international consultation, entitled ‘Transforming Communities: Christians and …

International Christian-Muslim consultation opens in Geneva “Our theology is not the same,” said Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal of Jordan, “but we are all in the same boat.” The prince was addressing an assembly of Christians and Muslims gathered in Geneva, Switzerland to mark the beginning on Monday of a four-day international consultation on Muslim-Christian dialogue. People of faith …

FOUR decades ago, global Christian bodies were riven by rows over where their main duty lay—changing the world or saving souls. The Geneva-based World Council of Churches (WCC), dominated by liberal Protestants and Orthodox churches from communist lands, stressed “liberation” and social justice. That was one reason why America’s Billy Graham and other top evangelicals went to Lausanne in 1974 …

The coordinator of a Muslim initiative to promote common ground with Christians says that leaders of the two religions have a duty to protect adherents of the other faith against followers of their own. “For both our religions harming religious minorities among us is evil, is absolutely forbidden and is ultimately a rejection of God’s love and a crime against …

Geneva (ENInews). The coordinator of a Muslim initiative to promote common ground with Christians says that leaders of the two religions have a duty to protect adherents of the other faith against followers of their own. “For both our religions harming religious minorities among us is evil, is absolutely forbidden and is ultimately a rejection of God’s love and a …

Muslim and Christian leaders as well as scholars and interfaith practitioners will gather in Geneva, Switzerland for the international consultation “Transforming Communities: Christians and Muslims Building a Common Future”. The consultation is being jointly planned, funded and convened by the World Council of Churches (WCC) and several Muslim organizations. The participants will address three key issues in the present context …

In 2007, 138 Muslims scholars and authorities presented “A Common Word Between Us and You,” an examination of the beliefs shared by Christians and Muslims. These are Muslims of all stripes, representing the vast diversity within the theology. Every major Islamic country or region in the world is represented in this message, which is addressed to Christians of all stripes …

Sunday, 23 September 2010H.M. King Abdullah’s address to UN proposing World Interfaith Harmony Week Wednesday, 20 October 2010 H.R.H. Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad’s Presentation to the UN General Assembly

The following is a guest contribution. Reuters is not responsible for the content and the views expressed are the authors’ alone. Aref Ali Nayed is Director, Kalam Research & Media, Dubai. By Aref Ali Nayed Years ago, in Toronto, I read on the concrete walls of a highway bridge the following bold and sacrilegious message: “God is dead! Signed: Nietzsche,” …

Prominent Muslim scholars have recast a famous medieval fatwa on jihad, arguing the religious edict radical Islamists often cite to justify killing cannot be used in a globalized world that respects faith and civil rights. A conference in Mardin in southeastern Turkey declared the fatwa by 14th century scholar Ibn Taymiyya rules out militant violence and the medieval Muslim division …

(Reuters) – Prominent Muslim scholars have recast a famous medieval fatwa on jihad, arguing the religious edict radical Islamists often cite to justify killing cannot be used in a globalized world that respects faith and civil rights. A conference in Mardin in southeastern Turkey declared the fatwa by 14th century scholar Ibn Taymiyya rules out militant violence and the medieval …

OPINION: Today marks the fifth anniversary of the election of Pope Benedict who has made an enormous impact, nothwithstanding the claims in last week’s atrocious letter from Fr Hans Küng to the bishops THE NIGHT Pope Benedict XVI was elected, I announced on Prime Time that he would surprise us all. He did. The moment the newly elected pope first …

Says Interreligious Dialogue Can Deepen Faith GRANADA, Spain, FEB. 18, 2010 (Zenit.org) – The president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue is affirming that Catholics should not fear Islam, but rather welcome the chance for deepening their faith through interchange with Muslims. Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran affirmed this in Granada during his Feb. 10 opening address for a two-day congress …

I remember clearly, when I was growing up in Abu Dhabi, the local Anglican bishop being invited to Muslim households for lunch – often on Christmas Day. I recall an Egyptian Muslim lady telling me that as a child she had a Jewish classmate, in a Catholic school, where she was taught Islam by local teachers, and other subjects by …

December 30, 2009. In May, the pope visited Jordan, Israel and Palestine where he prayed for peace and unity among the Middle Eastern nations and among Christians, Jews and Muslims. The first stop was Jordan, where he met with King Abdullah II and his wife Queen Rania. Benedict XVI “My visit to Jordan gives me a welcome opportunity to speak …

Q: Eight years after the U.S. attacked Afghanistan, fighting continues. Religious extremists in the Taliban and al-Qaeda retain significant power there. What is our moral responsibility to the people of Afghanistan? If religion is part of the problem there, how can it be part of the solution? Millions of American Christians stepped from their pews on Sunday, Oct. 7, 2001, …

WASHINGTON — Former British Prime Minister and Middle East envoy Tony Blair called Wednesday for a joint appeal by Jerusalem’s religious leaders on keeping the holy city open to all faiths even as tensions flare. Blair, speaking at a forum on religious understanding at Georgetown University, said it was crucial to recognize and address the religious dimension of the Middle …

Tony Blair visited Georgetown on Wednesday to participate in a conference discussing Muslim-Christian relations. Former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair and other foreign officials discussed Christian-Muslim relations and religious intolerance in Gaston Hall on Wednesday. This discussion was the first half of the fourth A Common Word conference, a global initiative designed to bridge religious differences in the 21st century. …

Former British PM and Mideast envoy Tony Blair called Wednesday for a joint appeal by Jerusalem’s religious leaders on keeping the holy city open to all faiths. Blair, speaking at a forum on religious understanding at Georgetown University, said it was crucial to recognize and address the religious dimension of the Middle East conflict. “One of the things we’ve been …

America and the West have been victims of violent extremists acting in the name of Islam, the tragic events of 9/11 being only the most egregious of their attacks. Western officials and commentators are consumed by the question, “Where are the moderates?” Many, seeing only the extremism perpetuated by a radical few, despair of finding progressive and peaceful partners of …

Former British prime minister Tony Blair said Wednesday (Oct. 7) that Muslims and Christians working to understand each other’s cultural and religious beliefs could help build a global movement for peace. ”In religion, we are told to love your God, love your neighbors as yourself,” Blair said at a Georgetown University panel on the future of Muslim-Christian relations, adding that …

WASHINGTON (CNS) – Christians and Muslims alike face “the challenge of relevance” in today’s society, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Oct. 7 at Georgetown University. The challenge includes “showing how faith can be a force for the future, for progress, that it will not fade as science and technology and material prosperity alters the way we live,” Blair …

In an Op-Ed in The Wall Street Journal, the grand mufti of Egypt writes about Islam’s relationship with the West. The piece by Ali Gomaa is titled “Islam, Israel and the United States,” which gives the misimpression that it’s about Israel. It’s not. Here’s the only time Israel is mentioned: The violence and the aggression to which many Muslim countries …

‘I think what’s missing is that the ideas being discussed need to be brought to the masses,’ Mogahed told IOL. Religious scholars, politicians and experts agree that a Muslim dialogue initiative for the Christian world needs action to address all the challenges still standing between the followers of the two Abrahamic faiths. ‘I think what we are addressing is how …

In a speech delivered earlier this week at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, former British prime minister Tony Blair cast atheists and violent religious extremists in the same light, as enemies whom people of faith must “confront.” The larger theme of the speech dealt with building budges between faiths, to “deeply” respect those of differing religions “beyond tolerance or acceptance.” …

RELIGIOUS scholars, politicians and experts agree that a Muslim dialogue initiative for the Christian world needs action to address all the challenges still standing between the followers of the two Abrahamic faiths. “I think what we are addressing is how to develop out of A Common Word, a common work together and common partnership,” John Esposito, professor of International Affairs …

Georgetown‘s Common Word conference raises awareness on urgent need to work together. The just-completed Georgetown‘s Common Word conference, Oct. 7-8, occurs at a time when the need for serious engagement and cooperation between Muslims and Christians is more urgent than ever. Islam and Christianity are far and away the two largest global religions (1.5 and 2.1 billion). Muslims and Christians …

The just-completed Georgetown‘s Common Word conference, Oct. 7-8, occurs at a time when the need for serious engagement and cooperation between Muslims and Christians is more urgent than ever. Islam and Christianity are far and away the two largest global religions (1.5 and 2.1 billion). Muslims and Christians together make up well over half of the world’s population. Today, more …

Relevance, aggressive secular attacks, and the threat of extremism are challenges for all people of faith, said former British Prime Minister Tony Blair at a major Muslim-Christian dialogue conference this past week. “These challenges are not for Muslims alone, or Christians or Jews, Hindus or Buddhists for that matter. They are challenges for all people of faith,” Blair said at …

These challenges are not for Muslims alone, or Christians or Jews, Hindus or Buddhists for that matter. They are challenges for all people of faith, Blair said at the 2009 Common Word Conference at Georgetown University. And the best hope for faith in the twenty-first century, he added, is that people of faith confront all of this together. This is …

Last week more than 80 religious, political and NGO leaders from around the world spoke to packed audiences at Georgetown University’s Common Word conference, at a time when engagement with the Islamic world is more urgent than ever. In contrast to the past, the world of the 21st century is both transformed and threatened by the impact of globalization, a …

WASHINGTON — Christians and Muslims alike face “the challenge of relevance” in today’s society, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Oct. 7 at Georgetown University. The challenge includes “showing how faith can be a force for the future, for progress, that it will not fade as science and technology and material prosperity alters the way we live,” Blair said. …

As interfaith conferences go, I have a lot of time for the Common Word initiative. It is rare for high-profile personalities from both the Muslim religious world and the Christian equivalent to meet, but the Common Word conference at Georgetown University in Washington this month was such an occasion. There have been meetings before, of course – at Yale, Cambridge …

Despite our theological differences, we strive to love God to the utmost, and love humanity as well. RECENTLY, I was at a retreat in the small resort town of Cadenabbia, at Lake Como in northern Italy. Lake Como is a beautiful scenic lake straddled by several resort towns, where the rich and famous have their holiday homes. As it was …

President Barack Obama won the 2009 Nobel peace prize. Here are five deserving contenders who were overlooked. This Chinese dissident and pro-democracy activist had been widely expected to win the Nobel Peace Prize. An outspoken critic of the Beijing regime, Mr Hu was jailed last year for “inciting subversion” before the Olympic games. He is now serving a sentence of …

The just-completed Georgetown’s Common Word conference, Oct. 7-8, occurs at a time when the need for serious engagement and cooperation between Muslims and Christians is more urgent than ever. Islam and Christianity are far and away the two largest global religions (1.5 and 2.1 billion). Muslims and Christians together make up well over half of the world’s population. Today, more …

Relevance, aggressive secular attacks, and the threat of extremism are challenges for all people of faith, said former British Prime Minister Tony Blair at a major Muslim-Christian dialogue conference this past week. “These challenges are not for Muslims alone, or Christians or Jews, Hindus or Buddhists for that matter. They are challenges for all people of faith,” Blair said at …

Can Muslims and Christians (and people of other faiths) live together in peace? And what will be the principles upon which this goal can be achieved? To answer these questions, Georgetown University hosted a major conference on Muslim-Christian relations on Oct. 7-8, 2009. Titled “A Common Word between Us and You: A Global Change for Change,” the conference brought together …

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Christians and Muslims alike face “the challenge of relevance” in today’s society, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Oct. 7 at Georgetown University. The challenge includes “showing how faith can be a force for the future, for progress, that it will not fade as science and technology and material prosperity alters the way we live,” Blair …

World political and religious leaders — including former British prime minister Tony Blair – called for believers to seize upon interfaith commonalities to address global issues of peace and security at a two-day conference on Muslim-Christian relations this week. “The best hope for faith in the 21st century is that we confront all of this together,” Blair said during the …

TONS of books have been printed; time, talent and trust have been invested on inter-faith dialogues and understanding during the last century in almost all parts of the world. Today, not a single day passes when there is no inter-faith dialogue held somewhere in the world. However, suspicion, misunderstanding and hatred continue among peoples of different religious persuasions. Religious intolerance, …

WASHINGTON — Religious scholars, politicians and experts agree that a Muslim dialogue initiative for the Christian world needs action to address all the challenges still standing between the followers of the two Abrahamic faiths. “I think what we are addressing… is how to develop out of A Common Word a common work together and common partnership,” John Esposito, professor of …

(Photo: Common Word conference with (from left) former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Georgetown University Professor John Esposito, Bosnian Grand Mufti Mustafa Ceric, former Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik and former Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, 7 Oct 2009/Georgetown University – Phil Humnicky) Will a common word lead to a common deed? That’s the challenge that the “Common …