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India among 60 nations attending Kazakh world religious meet

Astana, June 30, 2009

Academics, clerics and leaders from 60 nations, including India, have gathered in the Kazakhstan capital for a global conference of faith and civilisations where they will deliberate on prospects of peaceful coexistence among the world's religions amid growing extremism and violence.

The Congress of World and Tradition Religions, being inaugurated by Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev Wednesday at a unique pyramid-shaped building here, is a bold reminder to the world that people of different faiths and ethnic backgrounds can and should live together in peace, its organisers say.

The nine-storey monument - Palace of Peace and Concord - rising more than 200 feet high has been built specially for the meeting of world religions.

Indian delegates, including Muslims, Hindus and Christians, say India should replicate the concept of faith-based dialogue in the times of growing religious intolerance.

"Every nation should show interest in holding such gatherings. It will only promote balance and moderation," said Maulana Salman Nadvi of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board and head of the Indian Muslims' delegation to the two-day Congress.

"When people meet, they recognise each other. This helps in a better understanding of their viewpoints. It becomes a meeting of hearts and minds. What we have to understand that religion is being grossly misused. In the end, there is only one father and one god," Nadvi told IANS.

J.M. Dave, who is heading the Swaminarayan faith delegation at the Congress, agreed with Nadvi that the concept needed to be taken forward.

"What we need is a permanent setup in all countries to take the world of the Congress forward," he said.

Dave also gave the example of the Catholic church to drive home his point.

"Whenever the Vatican releases information, it is immediately distributed worldwide by the Catholic church through its vast network. It also has a very active website. We need to replicate this," said Dave, who is the chief spokesperson for the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS).

Amongst those attending the summit are Israeli President Shimon Peres, the Supreme Imam of the University of Al-Azhar Sheikh Mohammed Said Tantaui, Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Secretary General Mark Perren de Brishambo, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos and former Norwegian prime minister Kjell Bondevik.

Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari was invited to be a guest of honour at the Congress. But Ansari, who is chairperson of the upper house of the Indian parliament, had to decline due to prior commitments, Kazakhstan's ambassador to India Kairat Umarov told IANS earlier in New Delhi.      

The budget session of the Indian parliament commences July 3.

Terming the Congress a "good beginning", Swami Vishveshwaranand of Mumbai's Sanyas Ashram also spoke of the need for a "more broad-based" permanent secretariat.

"The dialogues should continue. The focus should be on problem resolution. The Congress should go to the roots of the problems that beset the world and work toward resolving them," he said.

He also lamented that there was "very little awareness" of the Congress in India because it was not a "hot subject" for the media.

The first day of the Congress will be devoted to a plenary on "The role of religious leaders in construction of the world based on tolerance, mutual respect and cooperation".

The second day will be divided into three sections: "Moral and cultural wealth, world ethics", "Dialogue and cooperation" and "Solidarity, especially in crises".

At the end of the inaugural Congress in 2003, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Jew, Hindu and Tao leaders adopted a declaration stating that "extremism, terrorism and other forms of violence in the name of religion... are threat to human life and should be rejected". The second Congress was held in 2007.