By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,
Bhopal: A three-day International Conference on “Towards Human Understanding Through Dialogue” is being organized by Institute of Objective Studies from October 24 to 26 .at B.S. Abdur Rahman Auditorium, India Islamic Cultural Center in New Delhi.
The conference would be Inaugurated by Pranab Mukherjee, Federal Minister of External Affairs, Govt. of India. The inaugural function would be presided over by Justice A.M. Ahmadi, former Chief Justice of India while the chief guest would be Dr. Ali Juma Mohammad Abdul Wahab, the Grand Mufti of Egypt.
Dr. Khaleel Mohammed, Professor of Religious Studies, San Diego State University, California, U.S.A will deliver Keynote address. The welcome address would be delivered by Dr. Mohammad Manzoor Alam, chairman, Institute of Objective Studies.
The guests of honor on the occasion would include: Dr. Adel A. Al-Falah, Under Secretary, Ministry of Awqaf & Islamic Affairs, Kuwait; Shankaracharya Onkaranand Saraswati (Hinduism); Fr. M. D Thomas (Christianity); Rev.Baddegama Samitha Thero Sri Lanka (Budhsim), Baba Surabhjit Singh Bedi (Sikhism); Swami Dharmanand (Jainism) and Sirajuddin Qureshi, president, India Islamic Cultural Center, Delhi.
The Objectives of the conference are:
1. To strengthen the global movement for creating synergy for furtherance of human understanding and importance of dialogue; to disseminate these message to wider audience and to involve a cross-section of national & international society in this endeavor;
2. To create and sustain a culture of understanding, tolerance, mutual respect and peaceful co-existence among people of different religious persuasions and ethnic and cultural communities;
3.To focus on the humanizing and liberating potential of religion and to harness its creative energies in the service of human understanding;
4. To clear misconceptions and remove stereotypes about Islam and Muslims and to highlight their factual and potential contribution to human understanding;
5. To highlight the creative role and potential of India’s composite cultural heritage in fostering a culture of tolerance, mutual respect and harmonious co-existence in the midst of plurality variety of ethnicities, cultures and faiths and
6. To bring together academics, prominent public figures, religious leaders, and representatives of civil society and the media to deliberate on the dynamics and methodology of dialogue and to share reflections and experiences on its effectiveness and viability. ([email protected])