TOWARDS GLOBAL PEACE

TOWARDS GLOBAL PEACE We often talk of peace in the context of war. But this is a very narrow and restricted notion of peace. Peace is deeply linked with the entirety of human life. Peace is a complete ideology in itself. Peace is the only religion for both—man and the universe. It is the master-key that opens the doors to every success. Peace creates a favourable atmosphere for success in every endeavour. Without peace, no positive action—small or big—is possible. PROGRESS IN INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE R ELIGIOUS differences have always existed between people. That is why interreligious dialogue has been found in one form or the other since ancient times. Fourteen hundred years ago the Prophet of Islam held in Madinah a three-religion conference— in modern terminology, a trialogue—to exchange views on religious issues. Such attempts have repeatedly been made in history. The circumstances that unfolded following the Second World War led the Christian Church, in particular, to pay great attention to this matter. Through its continuous efforts dialogues of this nature are regularly being held in various countries, between Muslims and Christians in particular. These efforts have borne fruit, at least partially. For instance, it is as a result of these efforts that on the one hand, a Church has appeared once again in Ben Ghazi (Libya) while on the other, a mosque has been built in Rome for the first time in recent history. If the Quran is consulted with this point in view, we find two main principles on which to hold dialogues. One is derived from this verse of the Quran: Say: O People of Book, let us come to a word common to us and you that we will worship none but God. (3: 64) The first and foremost principle for any dialogue held to discuss two or more religions is to strive to find a mutual basis for peaceful coexistence.