Bush Praises Muslim Americans
September 18, 2008 Washington, DC U.S. President George Bush hosted a White House dinner breaking the fast of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns has the story. This was the president’s eighth Iftaar dinner in eight years at the White House. Mr. Bush gave thanks for the many ways that Muslim Americans enrich the lives of all Americans. “One of the great strengths of our nation is its religious diversity. Americans practice many different faiths. We all share a belief in the right to worship freely. We reject bigotry in all its forms. And over the past eight years, my administration has been proud to work closely with Muslim Americans to promote...
Saudi King Proclaims Moderate, Tolerant Islam at Spanish Faith Congress...
July 17, 2008 Saudi King Abdallah Bin-Abd-al-Aziz has told the world conference on interfaith dialogue in Madrid that “Islam is the religion of moderation, balance and tolerance”, according to a report in a Spanish paper. It says he also condemned extremism and made a call for reconciliation among faiths to combat the “spiritual void” responsible for many of the world`s ills. The following is the text of the report by the Spanish newspaper ABC website on 17 July; subheadings as published: Madrid: King Abdallah (Bin-Abd-al-Aziz) of Saudi Arabia transmitted a message of a moderate, balanced and tolerant Islam yesterday in Madrid and urged “turning a new page for humanity where reconciliation will replace dispute”. The monarch of one of the countries which, paradoxically, applies the Islamic...
Mecca Conference Promotes Dialogue Between Muslims and Followers of Other Faiths...
June 12, 2008 Washington DC Religious leaders and Islamic scholars from more than 50 countries gathered for an international conference in Mecca last week to address the challenges facing the Islamic world. The conference was part of a recently announced initiative by Saudi King Abdullah to promote dialogue between Muslims and followers of other monotheistic faiths. King Abdullah’s tone was one of reconciliation between Islam’s two main branches, Sunni and Shi’a. The King, a Sunni Muslim, was reported to have entered the hall with a leading Shi’a politician, former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who later sat at his left in a gesture of unity. Ibrahim Hooper, communications director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Washington, attended...
Muslim Scholars Seek Reconciliation with Christians...
It is called A Common Word Between Us and You. It is a letter, signed last month by 138 Muslim scholars from around the world and addressed to Pope Benedict and other Christian leaders. It stresses the importance of finding common ground between the two faiths. Priscilla Huff reports. From Friday prayers in a mosque in Iran to Sunday services in a church in middle America, different days and places of worship divide Islamic and Christian believers. Conflict between Islam and Christianity has existed for centuries. And the al-Qaida terrorist attacks on the United States in 2001, and the U.S.-led response in Afghanistan and Iraq have strained relations even more. Now, representatives from Islam are hoping a piece of...
Detroit Interfaith Group Teaches Tolerance Through Dialogue...
June 08, 2007 Washington, D.C. After September 11th, many religious leaders across the U.S. gathered to pray for peace and understanding. In the Midwest City of Detroit, one of the most ethnically diverse in America, Muslim, Jewish and Christian leaders continue to meet on a regular basis. The Detroit Interfaith Partners try to talk through their differences, despite underlying religious friction at home and ethnic conflicts overseas. In a scene from the documentary “Reuniting The Children of Abraham,” a Christian actor says, “Where I grew up there were only two kinds of people. You were either a Christian or you were someone who did not believe in God.” A Jewish actress offers her own story, saying, “My family...
Islamic Traditions Influence Lent in Senegal...
March 09, 2007 Dakar The population of the West African nation of Senegal is mostly Muslim, but people of different faiths intermingle freely, and their religious traditions have become intertwined as well. As Naomi Schwarz reports from Dakar, religious celebrations, like the Christian observance of Lent, have been influenced by Muslim traditions. In a noisy cement-walled classroom next to Dakar’s main cathedral, a local choir is rehearsing a song for an upcoming concert. Although the choir is Catholic, the song is in Arabic. It focuses on the continuing dialogue between Muslims and Christians in Senegal, says Jean-Paul Sombou, a member of the choir. More than 90 percent of the country is Muslim, while only about five percent are...
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