CAIRO — Participants in the Parliament of the World's Religions are calling for more interfaith understanding and a world move to save humanity from a climate disaster, the Australian daily the Age reported on Wednesday, December 9. "A new global conversation has to begin," Chandra Mufazzar, founder of the International Movement for a Just World, told the several-days meeting, which concluded its activities in the Melbourne Wednesday.
The Muslim leader, also a professor of international studies at University Sains Malaysia, called for an inclusive and constructive dialogue among followers of different faiths.
"We need a conversation with three dimensions; First, respect, which will only emerge when there's a feeling of equality. Second, learn to be inclusive. Third, whatever our differences, we must not resort to violence because the global conversation breaks down."
Leading European Muslim scholar Tariq Ramadan said the problem was a clash of perceptions.
"We have to understand that Islam is now a Western religion," he asserted.
"Not only must Muslims integrate in the West, but the West must accept Islam."
Hsin Tao, a Taiwanese Buddhist monk and President of the Global Family for Love and Peace, said understanding the other is a key to avoid a clash of faiths.
"Mutual understanding can only happen if we can stand in the shoes of the other side."
The week-long event, which is held every five years, features nearly 700 panels, workshops and lectures, plus worship and music events.
The event, which brought together representatives from 80 nationalities and more than 220 faith traditions, aimed to cultivate harmony among the world's religion.
Climate Change
The religious leaders also made an appeal to climate negotiators at the UN summit in Copenhagen to reach a deal to save humanity.
"Is the earth sacred enough to make those hard, courageous short-term decisions that will have implications for decades to come?" asked Rev Dirk Ficca, director of the parliament.
"Religious leaders are trying to draw on their wisdom and persuasiveness to make sure that we all believe it is sacred enough."
An early draft text at the UN climate marathon highlighted the summit tensions between rich carbon emitters and the world's poor.
Yvo de Boer, the UN climate pointman, insisted the document was out of date, and would be most unlikely to constitute the final outcome.
The text unleashed charges by poorer nations and activists that it had been cooked up in private and favored advanced economies.
If all goes well, the 194 nations meeting in Copenhagen under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will secure a political agreement spelling out national pledges for curbing heat-trapping carbon emissions, also called greenhouse gases.
Over the past 250 years, atmospheric concentrations of these invisible, odourless, tasteless gases have risen, propelled by the unbridled use of coal, oil and gas.
In tandem, atmospheric temperatures have surged in the last quarter-century, inflicting damage to glaciers and snowfall.
Scientists fear far worse is to come this century in the form of drought, flood, storms and rising seas that will threaten tens of millions.
Source: IslamOnline
The Muslim leader, also a professor of international studies at University Sains Malaysia, called for an inclusive and constructive dialogue among followers of different faiths.
"We need a conversation with three dimensions; First, respect, which will only emerge when there's a feeling of equality. Second, learn to be inclusive. Third, whatever our differences, we must not resort to violence because the global conversation breaks down."
Leading European Muslim scholar Tariq Ramadan said the problem was a clash of perceptions.
"We have to understand that Islam is now a Western religion," he asserted.
"Not only must Muslims integrate in the West, but the West must accept Islam."
Hsin Tao, a Taiwanese Buddhist monk and President of the Global Family for Love and Peace, said understanding the other is a key to avoid a clash of faiths.
"Mutual understanding can only happen if we can stand in the shoes of the other side."
The week-long event, which is held every five years, features nearly 700 panels, workshops and lectures, plus worship and music events.
The event, which brought together representatives from 80 nationalities and more than 220 faith traditions, aimed to cultivate harmony among the world's religion.
Climate Change
The religious leaders also made an appeal to climate negotiators at the UN summit in Copenhagen to reach a deal to save humanity.
"Is the earth sacred enough to make those hard, courageous short-term decisions that will have implications for decades to come?" asked Rev Dirk Ficca, director of the parliament.
"Religious leaders are trying to draw on their wisdom and persuasiveness to make sure that we all believe it is sacred enough."
An early draft text at the UN climate marathon highlighted the summit tensions between rich carbon emitters and the world's poor.
Yvo de Boer, the UN climate pointman, insisted the document was out of date, and would be most unlikely to constitute the final outcome.
The text unleashed charges by poorer nations and activists that it had been cooked up in private and favored advanced economies.
If all goes well, the 194 nations meeting in Copenhagen under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will secure a political agreement spelling out national pledges for curbing heat-trapping carbon emissions, also called greenhouse gases.
Over the past 250 years, atmospheric concentrations of these invisible, odourless, tasteless gases have risen, propelled by the unbridled use of coal, oil and gas.
In tandem, atmospheric temperatures have surged in the last quarter-century, inflicting damage to glaciers and snowfall.
Scientists fear far worse is to come this century in the form of drought, flood, storms and rising seas that will threaten tens of millions.
Source: IslamOnline
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