news
His
Excellency Prof. Dr. Hamid Bin Ahmad AL-Rifaie, President of the International
Islamic Forum for Dialogue and Co- Secretary General of the World Muslim
Congress, has welcomed the remarks of Pope Benedict XVI that the Pontiff is
determined to pursue a policy of dialogue with other religions. “I will follow
a policy of dialogue with other Christian Churches and with representatives of
Judaism and Islam,” declared the Pope in a speech he delivered in Cologne, his
birthplace, during his first visit outside the Vatican since he became head of
the Roman Catholic Church. “I am keen to meet Muslim and Jewish religious
leaders,” added the Pope, “because that is an important step towards a
shared obligation for a future that will focus on humanity, and in which justice
and brotherhood will prevail.”
In
response to the Pope’s comments, Prof. Dr. AL-Rifaie said: “There is no
doubt that the Pope’s statement is a reassurance that the Vatican will
continue the policy of serious and objective dialogue which began in 1972 as a
shared initiative between Muslims and Catholics. Then the dialogue continued
through the cooperation between International Islamic Forum for Dialogue, based
in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, which represents over a hundred international Islamic
organisations involved in dialogue, and the Pontifical Council for inter-
religious Dialogue in the Vatican which represents Catholic churches throughout
the world. The cooperation has led
to the establishment of a permanent joint committee, “the Islamic - Catholic
Liaison Committee” which has made
considerable progress in fostering awareness and understanding between adherents
of the world’s two most populous religions.”
Prof. Dr. AL-Rifaie added:
“In the name of the international Islamic organisations which are members of
the International Islamic Forum for Dialogue, I would like to congratulate his
Holiness the Pope, and state that I share his determination to move forward
together the process of dialogue in Life that
it is the best and most useful way to realise a shared human culture for the
sake of justice and peace for all, to protect the environment of the corruption
and to achieve peaceful co-existence between societies and to guarantee a life
of dignity for all mankind.
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Mujahid AL-Rifaie |
International Islamic Forum for Dialogue and The Middle East Council of Churches |
I would
like to inform you that the International Islamic Forum for Dialogue and The
Middle East Council of Churches will sign an agreement for Dialogue on 16 July,
2004 in Cairo – Egypt under the shared patronage of His Eminence Grand Imam
Prof. Dr. Mohamad Said Tentawy Shaikh of AL-Azzhar and His Holiness Pope Shanoda
111.
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H.E.Prof.Dr.Hamid Bin Ahmad Al-Rifaie , President
Of International Islamic Forum For Dialogue Has
received recenntly the Following Letter From The World Public
Forum “ Dialogue Of Civilization “Moscow - Russiaa |
An
International conference will be held in Washington D.C. on February 27th
to March 2nd. ,
sponsored by the Inter-religious and International
Federation for World Peace. Both the Washington Times Foundation and the United
Press International Foundation will serve as Co-sponsors.
Organizers
invited H. E. Prof. Dr. Hamid A. AL-Rifaie President of the International
Islamic Forum for Dialogue ( IIFD ) to participate in the meeting in
addition to 200 participants including leading figures in religion, politics,
the United Nations, the U.S. government, the media, academia and civil society,
along with balance representation from religions in the region.
Addressing
the conference Prof. AL-Rifaie President, IIFD and Ass. Sec. Gen of WMC said:
As
interested in dialogue between cultures and civilizations, the IIFD welcome
this consultative meeting and its noble goals to achieve a mutual
understanding on the fateful issues of the human communities and to explore a
common ground to mobilize the good efforts for Justice, Security, Stability and
Sustainable Development; and for protecting
human’s life, dignity as well as keeping environment away from
pollution.
In
such positive and civilized context, may I remind this esteemed convention that
the Saudi Crown Prince, HRH Prince Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz has presented a
comprehensive Peace Initiative to bring fair and lasting peace in the Middle
East, which has been adopted from the Arab and Muslim World, as well as received
the support of many international circles.
Therefore,
to save time, avoid duplication of noble efforts, and coordinate our work in
this direction, I suggest on behalf of the IIFD and WMC based Jeddah –Saudi
Arabia that this convention studies and activates HRH Prince Abdullah’s
initiative and work on eliminating potential obstacles which prevent of
achieving it’s fair ends.
The
IIFD and WMC shall join to any positive effort towards
implementing the above proposal and achieving the noble goals of this conference
in committing to the culture of dialogue for spreading respect of the values of
Justice, Peace and safe coexistence for all people all over the world.
By
Secretariat
of IIFD
Jeddah
on: 26 / 12 / 1423 H. - 27
/ 02 / 2003 G.
Prof.
Dr. Hamid AL-RIFAIE send a letter to H. E. President George W.
Bush and to H. E. Prime Minister Tony Blair and H. E. President
Saddam Hussein, abut Iraq War.
Please
find in the following the complete text of the litters:
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13
February 2003
H.
E. Mr. Saddam Hussein,
President
of the Republic of Iraq
Your
Excellence,
You
are Undoubtedly more aware than any one else, that the world today is on the
brink of a destructive war which though concentrated on one region might lead to
a global conflagration. We recognize perfectly the importance of world
cooperation to eliminate all kind of weapons of mass destruction wherever they
may be found without discrimination. We appreciate also the urgent need to
combat terrorism and put an end to the culture of terrorism wherever it may
exist. At the same time we believe that war is not the right
option to achieve the desired goal. war is indeed abhorrent in the sight
of God, as it is in the eyes of the wise and of all people who love
peace.
We
wish to inform you that we have expressed these concerns to H.E. President
George W. Bush and to H.E. Prime Minister Tony Blair.
As
we write this letter to you, Your Excellence, we believe that you will give it
serious consideration, recognizing that our sole intention is to save humanity
and the environment from a terrible disaster, we trust that you will show your
wisdom and exercise your responsibility by cooperating fully with the United
Nations and with the inspection teams. Such action will help to deter the
international community from recourse to war and strengthen the way of dialogue
as a means to security and peace.
We
wish to assure you that the religious leaders of the world are ready to
cooperate with the United Nations in order to achieving security, prosperity and
peace for all human societies.
We
look forward to a positive response on your part.
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President
of the United States of America
Your
Excellence,
You
are Undoubtedly more aware than any one else, that the world today is on the
brink of a destructive war which though concentrated on one region might lead to
a global conflagration. We recognize perfectly the importance of world
cooperation to eliminate all kind of weapons of mass destruction wherever they
may be found without discrimination. We appreciate also the urgent need to
combat terrorism and put an end to the culture of terrorism wherever it may
exist. At the same time we believe that this task is complicated, it requires
the backing of an international consensus, both official and unofficial. More
time is needed to bring about international cooperation to root out the culture
of terror and to establish a culture of love, security and peace for the whole
of humanity including future generations.
We
therefore urge you, as we urge by a similar letter H.E. Prime Minister Tony
Blair and H.E. President Saddam Hussein, and as we would urge every world leader
, to forego the option of war as a way of achieving these noble goals. The
option of war would only complicate matters further, since it would open the
door to a tragic series of conflicts and acts of terror throughout the world. It
would tend to lend justification to terrorism and thus increase the number of
its supporters throughout the world.
As
we write this letter to you, Your Excellence, we believe that you will give it
serious consideration, recognizing that our sole intention is to save humanity
and the environment from a terrible disaster, we wish to assure you that
religious leaders of the world are ready to cooperate with the United Nations in
order to achieve security , prosperity and peace for all human societies .
We
look forward to a positive response on your part.
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Prime
Minister
United
Kingdom
Your
Excellence,
You
are Undoubtedly more aware than any one else, that the world today is on the
brink of a destructive war which though concentrated on one region might lead to
a global conflagration. We recognize perfectly the importance of world
cooperation to eliminate all kind of weapons of mass destruction wherever they
may be found without discrimination. We appreciate also the urgent need to
combat terrorism and put an end to the culture of terrorism wherever it may
exist. At the same time we believe that this task is complicated, it requires
the backing of an international consensus, both official and unofficial. More
time is needed to bring about international cooperation to root out the culture
of terror and to establish a culture of love, security and peace for the whole
of humanity including future generations.
We
therefore urge you, as we urge by a similar letter H.E. Prime Minister Tony
Blair and H.E. President Saddam Hussein, and as we would urge every world leader
, to forego the option of war as a way of achieving these noble goals. The
option of war would only complicate matters further, since it would open the
door to a tragic series of conflicts and acts of terror throughout the world. It
would tend to lend justification to terrorism and thus increase the number of
its supporters throughout the world.
As
we write this letter to you, Your Excellence, we believe that you will give it
serious consideration, recognizing that our sole intention is to save humanity
and the environment from a terrible disaster, we wish to assure you that
religious leaders of the world are ready to cooperate with the United Nations in
order to achieve security , prosperity and peace for all human societies .
We
look forward to a positive response on your part.
Prof. Dr. Hamid AL-RIFAIE received a letter From Secretary General of World Conference on Religion and Peace Dr. William F. Vendley.
Please
find in the following the complete text of the litter:
RELIGIONS for PEACE
- World Conference
- on Religion and Peace
777 United nations plazanew york, ny 10017 usa
29
Dear Dr. Al-Rifaie,
Warm Greetings.
I read with great interest your remarks to the World Council of Churches consultation on "Christians and Muslims in Dialogue and Beyond " and heartily commend you . The principles of cooperation you enunciated are most significant and an understanding of them will serve to advance our common work of building peace and justice through multireligious dialogue.
With deep respect, I remain
Sincerely yours,
President,
organized by the World
Council of Churches in Geneva- Switzerland
October 16 – 18,
2002
Your Holiness,
Your Eminences,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies
and Gentlemen
السلام
عليكم
Peace be upon you
I am pleased to be here with my respected colleagues Muslim and Christian leaders; and I am so privileged to address this familiar meeting for seeking on the joint noble ends and their applications.
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
First
of all, personally and on behalf of the International Islamic Forum for Dialogue
based in Jeddah – Saudi Arabia; I would like to express my deep thanks to
World Council of Churches for organizing this friendly gathering between Muslims
and Christians as followers of the largest two heavenly religions in the world;
to assume their liabilities towards the human societies.
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Carefully,
I have read a letter of the invitation of this meeting and a letter which has
been sent to us earlier by H. E. Sec. Gen. of WCC on the occasion of Blessed
Month of Ramadan. Both letters have expressed on a significant transparency, and
submitted an important signs relevant with goals and ends
that we are looking for.
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Truly,
that the time has come as Muslims and Christians to speculate seriously and
objectively the terrible world situation, and also to recognize our great
responsibility towards moral decline, social degeneration and security
deterioration, which threaten today the human life, human dignity, and
environment in most communities; the thing which demands and enforce us to
obligate our Divine duty, to work together for correcting and guiding the march
of the contemporary civilization; to become march of Justice, Peace, Prosperity
and safe co- existence for all.
But
the question that imposes itself is : how
can we achieve this noble goal ?
Yes,
I know exactly like you; that it is a difficult and complicated question!
But
I think it is unavoidable question! It is our fate, and our Divine duty, that
calls upon us to obligate and to perform our common task for building Earth,
establishing the Justice and achieving the good for all people.
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In order to realize
what we are looking for; each of us today has to submitted objectively his
perspective on, how can we carry into effect
Our tasks towards our
common challenges ? regarding this
issue personally I can say : that
the path of serious cooperation between us is in need of four basic steps :
1.
Determination of the available scopes of our common work..
2.
Determination of the common values and principles.
3.
Making practical program to realize the common conceptions.
4. Presentation of
the field results of our joint work to become a model on
the
world level.
Regarding
the issue of the scopes and the principles of the available cooperation ; I can
say clearly that the Muslims on the basis of their Dogmatic constants and their
religious privacies; assuring their absolute faith and entire readiness to
cooperate with their colleagues of Christians and others at national and
International levels, to achieve the above - mentioned four steps on the basis
of the following scopes and principles:
1.
Religious values are the essential source of safe communities.
2.
Dialogue is religious duty,
civilizational method and secure demand.
3.
Respecting unity of the human
family and its common interests.
4.
Respecting of human life and human
dignity.
5.
Respecting freedom of faith,
obedience and religious privacies.
6.
Respecting cultural diversity of
communities.
7.
Respecting human rights and
assuring on the human duties.
8.
Respecting right of possession and
maintaining legality of the mutual utilization of cosmos riches.
9.
Assuring the equitable
complementary between the responsibilities of man and women in the life.
10. Emphasizing
that the legal family between man and woman is the only basis of the safe
communities.
11. Respecting
rights of children to family upbringing and well education.
12. Respecting
obligation of education for all human generations.
13. Fighting
Injustice, aggression, and corruption in the Earth.
14. Fighting
family dissociation, social degeneration and moral deterioration.
15. Fighting
the narcotics and slave and sex trade.
16. Fighting
the poverty, disease and ignorance.
17. Fighting
Usury and economic exploitation of the needy people.
18. Fighting
terrorism and rebellion against doctrines of justice and against international
legislations.
19. Religious
and racial diversity should not be used as a political pretext against national
sovereignty.
20. Fighting
weapons of mass destruction and all kinds of aggression against innocent people
and environment.
21. Respecting
rights of peoples in self-defense and in self – determination.
Thank you once again
.. Good - bye
Dr.
Naseef. Dr. AL-RIFAIE, and Dr. Bin Biah, received a letter From U.S.A President
Bush Responding on their Latter, Dated, 15 September, which was sent to him,
regarding terrorist attacks of 11 September.
Please
find in the following the complete text of the litter:
Thank
you very much for your letter of September 15 offering your kind expression of
condolence and friendship and I appreciates your support during this challenging
time for the American people.
The United States has
welcomed the support of Muslim leaders around the world who have denounced the
terrorist attacks of September 11 and rejected any justification for them under
Islam. We in the United States know that our fellow Muslim citizens, and our
Muslim friends abroad, practice a religion that affirms life and denounces
violence. The United States remains committed to working with our Muslim friends
to build a more secure, peaceful, and tolerant world for all people.
We hope that the Muslim
World Congress will join us in reaching out to other cultures and religions in
our efforts to work together toward peace in the Middle East and in the world. Only through mutual understanding and respect will we achieve
the peace and security that we are all seeking.
Thank you again for your letter .
