Says They Are Key Element of Intercultural Dialogue
SAN MARINO, APRIL 23, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Religions' capacity to promote dialogue and understanding should be taken into account, said the secretary-general of the Council of Europe.
Terry Davis said that today when opening the first European conference on "The Religious Dimension of Intercultural Dialogue," organized by the San Marino chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.
Representatives of Christianity, Judaism and Islam participated in the conference, which was also open to state leaders, observers, experts and the press.
"The subject is important, topical and complex," Davis said. "Intercultural dialogue is important because it brings peoples and cultures closer together and reduces the risks of misunderstanding, tension and conflict.
"Intercultural dialogue, together with close legal cooperation, and insistence on the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, is part of our three-pronged approach in the fight against terrorism. Naturally, intercultural dialogue has a religious dimension, and that is what we have come here to discuss."
A priority
Davis said that the Council of Europe understands religion from two angles: first, freedom of religion as a human right, and second, religious beliefs as an element of personal identity and culture.
"The promotion of intercultural dialogue is a priority for our organization," Davis continued. "Our objective is to develop a long-term policy to exploit fully the potential of cultural diversity as a positive and cohesive force in our societies.
"I believe that religious communities have a tremendous potential in this respect. They can help to heal wounds, and they can build bridges.
"By working together, religious communities can defeat extremists who want to hijack and manipulate a faith to propagate violence and hate. They can become an enormous power for peace and tolerance, by making it clear that an attack against one faith is an attack against all of them."
Davis said he considered the conference itself as an opportunity for dialogue.
"The next challenge is to bring this dialogue to the local level," he asserted. "The religious dimension of the intercultural dialogue will reveal its full potential when a priest in a church, an imam in a mosque and a rabbi in a synagogue -- I emphasize: a local church, a local mosque, a local synagogue -- talk to each other and work with each other, to convey one common message, of tolerance, respect and understanding between people."
Code: ZE07042310
Date: 2007-04-23