JEDDAH, 26 May 2008 — The three-day international Islamic conference on dialogue, which was scheduled to begin at the Muslim World League (MWL) headquarters in Makkah on May 31, has been postponed to June 4, the MWL announced yesterday.

The conference, which will be attended by 500 Islamic scholars from around the world, is likely to be opened by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, who has called for interfaith dialogues to promote world peace and communal harmony.

“Many scholars and heads of Islamic centers in non-Muslim countries have expressed their desire to take part in the conference as its discussions focus on their activities and projects,” said Dr. Abdullah Al-Turki, secretary-general of the MWL.

“We have responded favorably to their request and have considered their difficulty in getting reservations on flights to the Kingdom. Consequently, we have postponed the opening to June 4,” he said.

Referring to King Abdullah’s call for interfaith dialogue, Al-Turki said Islamic scholars across the globe have welcomed this proposal, saying it is the best way to silence those who launch smear campaigns against Islam and Muslims, and stop attacks on Islam.

“Here comes the significance of the king’s call for interfaith dialogue to promote understanding among various religious communities and establish exemplary relations among nations in the world,” he said.

The Makkah conference, which will discuss the basis for dialogue with other faiths in the light of the Qur’an and Sunnah, aims at preparing for interfaith dialogue. “It will also review past experiences in the field to make use of them,” Al-Turki added.

The conference will focus on four pivotal topics: the basis of dialogue in Islam, the methodology and principles of dialogue, parties involved in dialogue, and areas of dialogue.

Al-Turki hopes interfaith dialogue would help convey the peaceful message of Islam to people all over the world. “It will also contribute to promoting common values such as truthfulness and justice, protecting human honor and preventing the reasons for family disintegration.”

Shoura Council President Dr. Saleh Bin-Humaid will preside over the conference’s first session, which will see the presentation of a number of research papers on the concept of dialogue and its objectives in the Qur’an and Sunnah, and experiences of cultural dialogue throughout history.

Dr. Mustafa Ceric, mufti of Bosnia, will preside over a session that will focus on the importance of coordination among Islamic organizations in holding dialogue with other faiths. Dr. Abdullah Omar Naseef, secretary-general of the International Islamic Council for Dawa and Relief, will also present a paper at this session.

Dr. Muhammad Al-Sammak, secretary-general of the Islamic Spiritual Summit in Lebanon, will speak on dialogue with followers of divine religions. Badr Al-Qassimi, deputy chairman of the Indian Fiqh Council, and Fouzi Al-Zafaf, former deputy director of Al-Azhar, will present papers in the third session. Dr. Mahmoud Ghazi of the College of Islamic Studies in Qatar will present a paper on the clash of civilizations and world peace, while Dr. Ali Uzak of Turkey will speak on the common ground of family and morality.