Al Azhar and the Vatican renew inter-faith dialogue against fundamentalism
A symposium sponsored by the Al Azhar Centre for Dialogue and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue ended yesterday in Cairo. Participants called for action against the root causes of extremism like "violence and poverty". Protecting young people, who are the most vulnerable to extremist ideologies, is a priority. Cutting funding and weapons to terrorist groups is another.
Cairo (AsiaNews) – The Joint Committee of the Al-Azhar Centre for Dialogue and the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue held a symposium at Al Azhar, Sunni Islam’s foremost centre, in Cairo on 22-23 February titled The role of Al Azhar Al Sharif and the Vatican in confronting the phenomena of fanaticism, extremism and violence.
The meeting’s goal was to fight the underlying causes "of extremism, violence, poverty, ignorance and the political use of religion,” strengthen dialogue between major Christian and Sunni Muslim institutions, and note the importance of differences in worship, which must be respected and preserved.
The symposium was attended by, among others, Al Azhar Deputy Prof Abbas Shauman, Prof Mahmoud Hamdi Zakzouk, head of the university's Centre for Dialogue, and Card Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.
Speakers focused on three specific issues: fanaticism, extremism and violence. Each noted possible common paths to counter them as the bases of violence and oppression in different parts of the world.
In the final statement issued at the end of the meeting yesterday evening, participants cited the need to pay “attention to the needs of young people, opening channels of dialogue with them, and explaining the correct concepts ordained by religions” so that they can understand them.
This requires strengthening the education curriculum, sharing common human values, taking into consideration women’s emancipation and the need to care for children.
"Mercy, love and respect" are the ways to counter violence and fanaticism. Greater cooperation between Al Azhar and the Vatican can promote “coexistence and communication” between the two.
The statement goes on to say that dialogue is the “basis for the relations between peoples, individuals, civilisations and religions in order to establish peace, security and stability.
Participants stressed the importance of meetings between senior Vatican and Al Azhar officials to clear misconceptions and boost tolerance in order to fight against groups that threaten stability and coexistence.
They also insisted on the need to alleviate the suffering of those who, in many parts of the world, experience violence in the name of religion and to eliminate hatred and animosity towards religions and religious symbols.
The two sides must establish “serious cooperation to counter, in a realistic and applicable way, terrorism and terrorist organisations”. They must also work together to dry up “their sources of livelihood, stopping the supply of money and weapons, closing the gates to social communications [. . .] in order to protect young people from their devastating ideologies."
For a long time, Al Azhar has been the subject of criticism, even from Muslims, for not unambiguously condemning violent Islamic fundamentalism and extremist school textbooks.
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10/04/2022 13:11
