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Richelle Wiseman

On Holy Ground

March 24, 2008

Last week, the Mayor of Vancouver stood on the steps of a downtown Catholic church to make an imp... Read More

Underneath the Helmet Issue

March 07, 2008

It seems the only time we hear about Canada’s Sikh community in the media is when there is ... Read More

Ron Csillag

Brainwashing or simple parenting?

March 24, 2008

Children being raised in a religious environment is a volatile issue, at least to anti-theists. A... Read More

Lord’s Prayer

March 04, 2008

In Ontario’s it’s often the little things that kick up the biggest fuss. This time, i... Read More

Tip:

This year, several significant religious and cultural events fall on the same day. March 21 is the UN International Day for the Elimination of Racism. In the Christian tradition, this year it is also Good Friday where Christians commemorate Christ’s passion and death on the cross to pay for the world’s sins. Also this year, it is the Jewish holiday of Purim which celebrates victory over an oppressive ruler as related in the Book of Ester. Hindus will celebrate Holi on March 21 this year, which is a festival dedicated to Krishna. Baha’is and Zoroastrians will celebrate New Years Day on March 21 (Naw Ruz and Now Ruz). Finally, to cap off the significant events occuring on this day, there will also be a full moon.

Article Details

Article Added On: March 25, 2008 - about 1 month ago
Title: Saudi king favours inter-faith talks to include Judaism: report
Original URL: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hwQvFFPZlXHBvXwAGn3UYkJPYJTg
Author: AFP
Publication: AFP
Publication Date: March 24, 2008 - about 1 month ago
Faith Groups: Other
Themes: other

Abstract: Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah on Monday proposed inter-faith talks between Muslims, Christians and Jews in a first for the ultra-conservative Muslim kingdom, the official SPA news agency reported.

RIYADH (AFP) — Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah on Monday proposed inter-faith talks between Muslims, Christians and Jews in a first for the ultra-conservative Muslim kingdom, the official SPA news agency reported.

"I ask representatives of all the monotheistic religions to meet with their brothers in faith," the king told delegates to a seminar on "Dialogue Among Civilisations between Japan and the Islamic World."

SPA reported that top Saudi clerics had given the green light for the idea, and that Muslim leaders from other countries would now be consulted.

"If God wills it, we will then meet with our brothers from other religions, including those of the Torah and the Gospel... to come up with ways to safeguard humanity," the king said.

The news agency said he also intended to address the United Nations on the subject.

"We have lost sincerity, morals, fidelity and attachment to our religions and to humanity," the king said, deploring "the disintegration of the family and the rise of atheism in the world -- a frightening phenomenon that all religions must confront and vanquish."

The monarch did not say where he hoped the proposed dialogue would take place.

He said he had discussed the project, which he has been mulling over for two years, with Pope Benedict XVI during his landmark visit to the Vatican last November.

Saudi Arabia and the Vatican do not have diplomatic relations.

Feature