Journey to KAICIID
Vision Turns into Visible Reality
Dr. Mozammel Haque
This
is a journey that has taken many years, from its beginning as the personal
vision of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques,
to the Official Inauguration of the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International
Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID) in 2012.
The
Journey to the establishment of King Abdullah International Dialogue Centre
followed on from a series of groundbreaking, historic meetings, which included
the meeting at the Vatican between the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King
Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and Pope Benedict XVI; The World International Islamic
Conference in Makkah, Saudi Arabia; The World Conference on Dialogue in Madrid,
Spain; the address by King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz to the UN General Assembly in
New York and the World Conference on Dialogue in Vienna, Austria.
The
Journey to KAICIID has progressed through three stages of development, that may
be characterised as i) Building the concept; ii) Taking it to the world; and
iii) Implementation.
1. THE BUILDING THE CONCEPT
i)
Meeting with Pope Benedict XVI on 6th November 2007
The
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah met with Pope Benedict XVI in a
historic visit to the Vatican, to share his idea and to engage with the Holy
See in a unique initiative and commitment to interfaith dialogue. During this
historic visit on 6th of November 2007, King Abdullah shared his
idea for an ‘initiative for Interfaith Dialogue’ to His Holiness who indicated
his willingness to support the initiative.
During
this historic meeting at the Vatican, The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques
King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and his Holiness Pope Benedict XVI called for
interfaith and intercultural dialogue among followers of Judaism, Christianity,
and Islam and “for the promotion of peace, justice and spiritual and moral
values, especially in support of the family.”
The
meeting sent a clear message that followers of Christianity and Islam should
overcome their minor differences and focus on the common values and principles
they share.
ii) International Islamic Conference for Dialogue
in Makkah on 4th June 2008
This
period also provided an opportunity for King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz to set
forth his principles and vision for dialogue within Islam as a starting point.
The
Custodian for Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, opened the
International Islamic Conference for Dialogue at the Royal Safa Palace in
Makkah, the city that is regarded as the heart of Islam.
This
now famous initiative by the Custodian for Two Holy Mosques, organised by the
Muslim World League, brought together over 500 of the most influential
scholars, academics and organisation leaders in the Muslim world to debate issues,
to counter challenges of rigidity, ignorance and narrow-mindedness and with a
goal of making the world better acquainted with the kind message of Islam. As
the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques said in his address, “We are the voice of
justice and human moral values, the voice of rational and just co-existence and
dialogue, the voice of wisdom and admonition and argumentation with the best
way possible.”
The
initiative gained additional support and momentum when the Custodian of the Two
Holy Mosques made a further call for dialogue by Muslims with the followers of
other religions and cultures, as a means of respecting the other. The statement
by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques also sought to establish a common
ground of respect among all peoples of the world.
The
conference concluded with a call to different Islamic organisations to do more
in terms of cooperation and coordination to advance dialogue and to make it
serve the interests of humanity. A specific recommendation was to establish a
King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Intercultural Dialogue,
with the aim of promoting a culture of dialogue.
So
the participants at the International Islamic Conference for Dialogue in Makkah
urged Muslims to attempt to establish dialogue with other religions and
cultures and to strive for peaceful coexistence with others. It was here at
Makkah that the idea of establishing a dedicated International Dialogue Centre
with a view to disseminating the culture of dialogue, was first publicly highlighted
in this way.
2. TAKING IT TO THE WORLD
i) International Conference for Dialogue
in Madrid on 16th -18th July, 2008
Following
up on the Makkah Conference, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques invited
attendees to engage in and promote dialogue as the means to achieve peace and
reconciliation and to achieve the betterment of humanity.
Three-day
World Conference on Dialogue organised by the Muslim World League in Madrid
during 16th-18th July, 2008, was hosted by King Abdullah
bin Abdulaziz and by King Juan Carlos I of Spain. Nearly 300 delegates
including followers of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism as
well as followers of other religions and cultures, along with scholars and
researchers, attended this World Conference on Dialogue in Madrid to discuss
common issues facing Mankind.
In
his opening address the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin
Abdulaziz declared that he was bringing a message from the Islamic world,
representing its scholars and thinkers who had recently met; the message
declared that Islam was a religion of moderation and tolerance. This was a
message calling for constructive dialogue among followers of religions, a
message that promised to open a new page for humanity in which – God willing –
concord would replace conflict.
The
Conference focused on the common denominators that unite Mankind, namely, deep
faith in God, noble principles, and the lofty moral values that constitute the
essence of faith. Conference delegates also discussed terrorism as the major
obstacle to dialogue and coexistence, requiring international efforts to deal
with it in a serious, responsible and just manner.
The
final declaration of the Conference rejected the notion of the so-called “Clash
of Civilisation” and warned against the danger of campaigns seeking to deepen
conflicts and destabilise peace and security. It also affirmed that “Dialogue
is one of the most important means for knowing each other.”
This
Conference concluded with several commitments including that of forming a
workgroup and for joint action aimed at overcoming obstacles standing in the
way of dialogue. The Conference also urged the UN General Assembly to support
its recommendations and called for a special UN Session on dialogue.
ii) Plenary High-level Meeting at the UN General
Assembly, New York, on 12th-13th
November, 2008
Following
the adoption of the Madrid Declaration, the United Nations General Assembly
convened a plenary, high-level meeting on 12th-13th
November, 2008, under item 45, “Culture of Peace” to discuss interreligious
dialogue.
This
meeting took note of the initiative and the speech delivered by King Abdullah
bin Abdulaziz, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the World Conference
on Dialogue held in Madrid under his patronage and hosted by the King and
Government of Spain. The General Assembly reiterated its call for promoting a
culture of tolerance and mutual understanding through dialogue, and for
supporting the initiatives of religious leaders, civil society and states seeking
to entrench a Culture of Peace, understanding, tolerance and respect for human
rights among the proponents of various faiths, cultures and civilisations.
Concerned
about serious instances of intolerance, discrimination, hatred expressions and
harassment of minority religious communities of all faiths, participating
states underlined the importance of promoting dialogue, understanding and
tolerance among human beings, as well as respect for all their diverse
religions, cultures and beliefs. Participating states affirmed their rejection
of the use of religion to justify the killing of innocent people and actions of
terrorism, violence and coercion, which directly contradict the commitment of
all religions to peace, justice and equality.
Participating
states also expressed their commitment to strengthening and supporting existing
mechanisms within the UN for promoting tolerance and human rights, preserving
the institution of the family, protecting the environment, spreading education,
eradicating poverty and fighting drug abuse, crime and terrorism, noting the
positive role of religions, beliefs and moral humanitarian principles in
tackling these challenges.
3. IMPLEMENTATION
The
vision of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques was now becoming manifest in
the hearts of those religious scholars and others who were beginning to
understand the possibilities of new horizon in dialogue.
The
aspiration has since required that concepts, ideals, hope and vision be
underpinned by hard work and by practical steps and activities, in order to
turn the Dream originated by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques into a
tangible, visible Reality. Conference at Vienna and at Geneva played a
significant role in converting lofty ideas into a viable project, with subsequent
development of the legal, political and interreligious and intercultural
understandings forming the basis for a worthy and meaningful proposition.
i) World Interreligious Dialogue Follow up Conference
in Vienna on 13th-14th July, 2009
The
Muslim World League, continued the initiative of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz,
the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and arranged a World Conference on
Dialogue in Vienna on 13th-14th July, 2009. The meeting
added to the previous discussions at Madrid and at the UN General Assembly in
New York and took measures to provide an effective way forward.
Three
resolutions were adopted. The World Conference on Dialogue unanimously
supported the intention of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques which was to
establish an international centre for interreligious dialogue. Consequently, a
Preparatory Working Group (PWG) was established. It comprised representatives
from the Muslim, Christian and Jewish religions and the President of the
International Peace Institute (IPI) was appointed as the convener. The PWG was
set up in consultation with the representatives of the Muslim World League as
well as the representatives of the other world religions who were present in
Vienna.
The
PWG was to make recommendations for the composition of a Steering Committee
comprised of named representatives from the other world religions present at
the conference with a Hindu and Buddhist representation to be invited after the
conference. The Steering Committee’s mandate was to present detailed proposals
for the establishment of an institution to work as an international centre for
interreligious dialogue – including its mission, organisation, governing
structure, terms of reference and other elements – by the end of the year.
ii) Interfaith Conference in Geneva on
30th September-1st October, 2009
Maintaining
the momentum of the previous meetings an interfaith conference, organised by
the Muslim World League (MWL) was held in Geneva, Switzerland between 30th
September and 1st October, 2009 which attracted 150 religious and
academic figures representing different religions and cultures from nearly 40
countries. The Conference called on the leaders of all faiths and civilisations
in the world to reflect further and to interact with the initiative by the
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques about the use of dialogue as a means to
“uphold human values, establish justice, promote cooperation, protect human
rights, preserve the family and end conflicts.”
The
Interfaith conference reviewed the existing relationships among the various
human civilisations, and stressed the importance of addressing the profound
misunderstandings that disturb their normal course. The Conference concluded
that religions are not the source of crises that disturb intercultural relations,
even if sometimes some people tend to define them as such; differences stem
from conflicts of interests and the predominance of selfish interests.
The
Conference called on the concerned States and relevant institutions to
implement international conventions, especially the United Nations resolutions
and principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The
final Communiqué enshrined three main topics, which were:
iii)
Signing of the Agreement for the Establishment
of
the Centre in Vienna on 13th October 2011
A
major milestone was made on 13th October 2011 in Vienna when the
three founding states, comprising the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Republic of
Austria and the Kingdom of Spain signed the Agreement for the Establishment of KAICIID.
The Holy See whose representative attended the Signing Ceremony also supported
the Agreement.
Vienna
has been chosen as the location for KAICIID because of its reputation as an
international city and its long history of proven interreligious acceptance.
iv)
Preparatory Commission Established
in
Vienna on 23rd April, 2012
The
Conference of the States Signatories of the Founding Agreement met in Madrid on
23rd of April, 2012 and established a Preparatory Commission for the
King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and
Intercultural Dialogue. Its ourpose was to work toward the establishment of the
Centre and to lay the groundwork for the implementation of the objectives of
the Founding Agreement.
At
its first meeting, the Preparatory Commission established an Interim
Secretariat, appointed H.E. Faisal Bin Abdulrahman Bin Muaammar as Interim
Secretary General and Ms. Claudia Bandion-Ortner as Deputy Secretary General,
elected the members of the Interim Board of Directors and adopted its Rules of
Procedure.
v)
Agreement enters into Force in
Vienna
on 21st October 2012
The
Agreement for the Establishment of the King Abdullah bin Abdulziz International
Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue entered into force, on 21st
of October, 2012, in Vienna, sixty days after the deposit of the instruments of
ratification by all parties having signed the Agreement. The Federal Ministry
for European and International Affairs of the Republic of Austria serves as
Depository for the Founding Agreement.
vii)
First Meeting of the Council of Parties
in
Vienna on 31st October, 2012
The
Council of Parties, consisting of the representatives of the three Founding
States of the Centre convened for its first session on 31st October 2012
in Vienna. The Council took over from the Preparatory Commission for the
Establishment of the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre to
complete the necessary preparatory work for the establishment of the Centre.
In
its first meeting, the Council of Parties admitted the Holy See as a Founding
Observer. The Council of Parties also appointed H.E. Faisal Bin Abdulrahman Bin
Muaammar as Secretary General and Her Excellency Claudia Bandion-Ortner as
Deputy Secretary General of the Centre. The members of the Board of Directors
were also elected.
viii)
The Inauguration Ceremony of the King Abdullah
Bin Abdulaziz International Centre for
Interreligious
and
Intercultural Dialogue in Vienna on 26th November, 2012
The
King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and
Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID) was officially opened on 26th
November, 2012 at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna.
With
the establishment of KAICIID in Vienna, the dream of King Abdullah bin
Abdulaziz turns into visible reality and a new chapter of global international
dialogue begins.
Courtesy: KAICIID
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