Muslim, Christian leaders call for cooperation against terrorism

Muslim and Christian leaders came together today in an attempt to show that battling terrorism is a common goal which cuts across the religious and cultural divide.

Sitting side-by-side, preachers, officials and activists representing the two faiths argued at a Cairo conference that a dialogue between religions and promoting coexistence were the only way out of the aftermath of the September 11 terror attacks on the United States.

Hamid bin Ahmed al-Rifaei, head of the Saudi-based International Islamic Forum for Dialogue, the organiser of the two-day conference, said; ‘‘Justice and mutual respect between cultures are the main means to eradicate terrorism and wars.’’

Many in the Islamic world see the US-led strikes in Afghanistan as a war on Islam and say their religion and the Islamic culture have been stigmatised as a result.

Riyad Jarjour, secretary-general of the Middle East Council of Churches, said: ‘‘No to violence. No to terrorism. No to cultural conflicts. Yes to just and comprehensive peace and yes to dialogue between cultures.’’

Participants agreed that no religion should be held responsible for the mistakes of unwitting individuals.

They called for misconceptions about Islam, whether among Westerners or those Muslims who did not understand their religion well, to be corrected.

‘‘There is no religion or nationality for terrorism,’’ said Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa in a prepared speech read by an aide.

It was time that ‘‘religions and countries worked together to fight international terrorism’’.

William Vendley, secretary-general of the US-based World Conference on Religion and Peace, said the military response was an ‘‘inadequate’’ tool to rid the world of terrorism.

A renowned Islamic scholar, Youssef al-Qaradawi, agreed, saying: ‘‘To fight terrorism, we have to define what terrorism is and to know what are the reasons behind terrorism, not to fight terrorism by similar terrorism.’’

The conference agreed that poverty, frustrations and oppression provided a fertile ground for more terrorism.

While condemning all forms of terrorism, many of the speakers called for a distinction between terrorism and the legitimate right of resistance to occupation, a reference to the Palestinian uprising against Israel.

The meeting condemned Israeli practices against the Palestinians, with some arguing that Israel’s attacks amounted to acts of terror.

The speakers included Egypt’s highest Muslim authority, Grand Mufti Nasr Farid Wasel, Grand Sheik of Al-Azhar Mohammed Sayed Tantawi and Pope Shenouda III, the head of the Coptic Church, as well as a Vatican representative.