World’s largest gathering of religious leaders convene in Riyadh

DNA 

Riyadh: The Muslim World League (MWL) – the world’s largest Islamic NGO – will host the “Shared Values among Followers of Religions” Forum in Riyadh between 10-11 Shawal 1443 H corresponding to 11-12 May 2022. The Forum will be one of the world’s largest gatherings of religious leaders – convening Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Hindu and Buddhist religious leaders in a bid to unite around shared values and a shared global vision for interfaith cooperation. 

The forum supports the Muslim World League’s mission to strengthen its global role as an independent international non-governmental organization dedicated to promoting Islamic values that call for peace, as stated in its statute and bylaws. Amongst the Conference’s key goals are the following: • Establish a global vision common to all major world religions  that entrenches the values of moderation and tackles disagreements between religions and cultures with a view to establishing understanding, cooperation, and solidarity instead.• Address extremist ideologies that demonize and direct hatred towards other faith groups.• Develop practical programs, initiatives, and effective recommendations to ensure the sustainability of the forum’s mission after the end of the conference. 

The forum will feature an opening session and three-panel discussions, the first of which will address the theme: “Human Dignity: Fair Equality between Human Beings and the Depth of Shared Human Values”.The second session, under the theme “One Human Family,” is titled “Building Bridging between Humans: Deconstructing the Concept of the Clash of Civilizations and Strengthening the Values of Friendship and Cooperation among Nations and Peoples.” The third session discusses moderation and acceptance of the other, concentrating on innate spiritual and human values and their function in encouraging moderation and respect for natural differences rather than fostering fear, hatred, and conflict. The panel discussions will be followed by an open dialogue on the initiatives presented in the forum, the closing session and the announcement of the final communiqué.

The Secretary General of host organization, the MWL, said “The aims of this conference aligns to the values of Muslim World League, which strives to build humanitarian partnerships for a more cooperative and peaceful world and more harmonious communities. This conference tackles some of the major issues of our day. As the world’s largest Islamic NGO, headquartered in the birthplace of Islam in Saudi Arabia, we have a special responsibility to do this work. Whether its to tackle climate change, to support refugees and vulnerable communities around the world, or simply to spread messages of peace and co-existence, the kind of interfaith trust and cooperation this event is fostering is desperately needed.”