The World Jewish Congress (WJC) is among several Jewish organizations that have been invited to an inter-faith conference hosted by the Muslim World League (MWL) in the Spanish capital Madrid from 16 to 18 July 2008. The event is sponsored by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, who will preside over the opening ceremony. King Juan Carlos of Spain and José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, the Spanish prime minister, will also attend the opening. Executive officers will represent the World Jewish Congress at the Madrid forum. Rabbi Marc Schneier, president of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding and chairman of the WJC American Section will also take part.
The organizer’s objective is "to bring together representatives from the three monotheistic faiths, as well as other major religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism, and to focus on the universal values handed down to mankind by our Creator, that all faiths share." The secretary general of the Muslim World League, Abdullah al-Turki, said "the aim of this inter-faith conference is for us to get to know each other and to look for ways to cooperate. In a statement, WJC president Ronald S. Lauder welcomed the invitation to the conference. "This is a significant and timely development. It is the duty of religious leaders to work together to restore respect for ethical values and to avoid a 'clash of civilizations'," he said.
In March 2008, King Abdullah had launched his initiative for inter-religious dialogue, to which the WJC leadership responded positively, stating that "The WJC strongly believes that thorough discussion and debate between brethren who share a common root we will learn that the ideals, aspirations and values that we share far outweigh any difference we may have."
For further information on the conference, click here
