Peaceful Interfaith Dialogue

be discovered between them—that is, they are all fellow human beings. God is the Creator, and all of us fellow human beings, regardless of our religion, are His creations. There is no third position. On the one hand, there is God, and on the other hand, there is God’s creation. God is one, and humankind also is one. Thus, there is the Oneness of God, and there is the oneness of humanity. This is a fundamental teaching of Islam. Mutual respect and peaceful coexistence are essential teachings of Islam. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MUTUAL RESPECT AND DIALOGUE For harmony to prevail in a multi-religious society, individuals living in it must be broadminded, respectful, compassionate, and well-wishers of others. Only with these virtues can members of society relate positively with others, including those whose belief system is different from theirs. This indicates the importance of mutual respect. The principle of mutual respect is natural and applies to all areas of social life. This natural principle needs to be upheld and acted upon by the adherents of different religions so that societal structures may be strengthened by stable and enduring human relationships. After being appointed as a prophet, the Prophet lived in Makkah for thirteen years and later migrated to Madinah, where he lived for ten years until his death. For about half