‘Religious leaders should lead efforts in interfaith dialogue’

Religious leaders have a great responsibility in creating interfaith harmony and promoting peace worldwide, experts and scholars said on Thursday.

“This responsibility has become urgent and essential given the sectarian violence we are seeing worldwide,” noted Minwer Mheid, the director of Al al Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought.

“Religious leaders and civil societies have bigger roles to play than governments in promoting peace, as people tend to suspect the government’s intentions,” he told The Jordan Times during the World Interfaith Harmony Week Prize Ceremony.

“We can see extremism developing in all religions. Although Jordan is not challenged by any religious divisions, we have to be a part of this dialogue. There is an urgent need for all of us to help people in other nations by encouraging interfaith harmony,” Mheid added.

http://jordantimes.com/article/religious-leaders-should-lead-efforts-in-interfaith-dialogue

Interfaith conference encourages international dialogue

Interfaith dialogue should be included in worldwide school curricula, and higher education institutions should be encouraged to foster a culture of dialogue, said participants of the 10th Doha Interfaith Dialogue Conference in a final statement released Thursday (April 25th).

The three-day conference, themed "Successful experiences in interfaith dialogue", opened April 23rd in the Qatari capital, drawing more than 300 followers of the three monotheistic faiths -- Judaism, Christianity and Islam -- from 75 countries.

http://al-shorfa.com/en_GB/articles/meii/features/2013/04/27/feature-01

Sweden Raises First Ever Adhan

Coming to Fittja Grand Mosque from early hours, Swedish Muslim worshippers gathered on Friday, April 26, to witness the recitation of the first ever Adhan in their country before the Friday prayer.

"This is a historic day," Iman Upmann, a Swede converted to Islam 13 years ago, told The World Bulletin.

Earlier in April, local police ruled to allow Adhan at Fittja mosque in the southern Stockholm suburb of Botkyrka on Fridays.

http://www.onislam.net/english/news/europe/462417-sweden-raises-first-ever-adhan.html