An unusual conference took place in Nur-Sultan, the capital of Kazakhstan, on Wednesday, when religious leaders from around the world gathered for interfaith dialogue and to take a stance against religious fanaticism.
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The conference, a session of the Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, is held once every three years and was founded by former Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev. This year's event drew notable presence from the Muslim world, including the chairman of Egypt's Al-Azhar University; Saudi deputy minister for Islamic Affairs Muhammad bin Abd al-Arifi; head of the Religious Council of the Caucasus Allahshukur Pashazadeh; and head of Turkey's Directorate of Religious Affairs, Ali Arbash.
Arifi condemned Islamist terrorism and presented the various actions Saudi Arabia has taken to promote a dialogue of moderation and interaction with different religions.
"Terrorism and fanaticism are a great threat to us all. The horrors being carried out in the name of Islam are forbidden according to true Islamic law. The world is accusing us in Saudi Arabia of promoting terrorism, but our leaders are working toward a moderate Islam and interfaith understanding," Arifi said.
The Emirati representative at the conference, Dr. Sultan Faisal al-Remeithi, also issued a call to delve into the root of the world's conflicts and to build understanding between different religious groups and nations.
However, Iran's representative at the event, Zahra Rashidbeigi, who is in charge of dialogue with her country's Christian minority, opted to place an emphasis on US sanctions on Iran and issue veiled criticism of western nations.
"Despite the sanctions on our country, we have managed to improve our position. The world's position is the result of people moving away from religious values. The separation created between science and religion has made people become selfish. The destruction of holy places and sanctions have become a real threat to human existence. Religions, and dialogue between them, can bring justice to humanity and an end to acts of occupation, theft, and destruction," Rashidbeigi said.
Rabbi Yoel Adler, who was at the conference representing Israel's Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi, said, "I think that cooperation between different religions can prevent another catastrophe like the Holocaust, not only for the Jewish people but all the peoples of the world. We were all created in God's image, we're all people. We are responsible for humanity's fate. We need to preserve what is unique in us. We are first of all the Jewish people, and then part of the family of nations, and we have an obligation to them, as well."
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