Promoting Peaceful Coexistence and Common Citizenship

[ 80 ] — INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE FOR PEACE — hatred, nourishing the spirit of — and lust for — vengeance. Therefore, at the end of my address, I share some of the mes- sages that I deem important in the promotion of peaceful coexistence and shared citizenship. Firstly, we have a need to believe in intellectual pluralism and to distance ourselves from the policy of exclusion and of imposing restrictions on others. Perhaps the Al-Azhar Al-Sharif General Freedoms document issued in 2012, that includes a plea to freedom of belief, will serve as a model in this regard. Secondly, we need to stop powers from seeking domi- nation and control, and exploiting religious, sectarian and ethnic diversity as a weapon of intellectual support, used in parallel with the destructive power of military weaponry. We have to teach those powers that oppression, injustice and the imposition of the guardianship of nations and peoples does not generate peace and stability, as well as to recognize the extent of the forces of arrogance operating in the world. Thirdly, it is important that researchers seek to promote peace, support coexistence, and benefit from those activities and programmes, especially in multi-religious and multi- cultural countries. Fourthly, the major powers must demonstrate by their deeds that they constitute a tool to extinguish the flames of terrorism, conflict, destruction and devastation, especially in our stricken Arab region; and not support it by staying silent and ignoring it. They could eliminate it in hours if desired. May Allah reward you and the good in you, and may the peace and mercy of God be upon you. HE Dr. Abbas Shuman Deputy of the Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar Al-Sahreef His Eminence Dr. Abbas Shuman is the Deputy of Al-Azhar’s Al Sharif Grand Sheikh. He holds a PhD in Islamic studies from Al-Azhar University, and a Masters in Sharia from the Islamic Studies Faculty. Dr Shuman began his career as a teacher in 1986, and later served as head of the Sharia department from 2009 to 2013. In 2013 he was named Dean of the Islamic Studies Faculty. He has published several books and research studies in Islamic science and Sharia. t is with great honour that I travelled from Alexandria, Egypt to be among this distin- guished delegation today and to participate in interreligious dialogue for peace. I am also honoured to have the presence of His All Holiness the Ecu- menical Patriarch Bartholomew, and it is with his blessing that I am participating in this conference. Since its first days of development and collective life, humanity had to develop rather rudimentary social struc- tures and relations based on the principles of coexistence and mutual understanding. In so doing, it could attain an ideal existence through healthy symbiosis and the accept- ance of the Other. Over the course of time, this healthy symbiosis has been disrupted, and indifference, heartbreak, and war have prevailed. The main reason behind this distortion is primarily egoism which demeans the human being. The egoist is expressed both individually and collectively in various forms such as personal, racial, national, and economic. Reli- gion has played a leading role in humanity’s harmonious symbiosis as well as its destruction. It must be noted that the deadliest and most destructive wars have been conducted in the name of religions. However, this contradicts the main role of religions which is to achieve both peace and harmo- nious coexistence. In such conflicts, the name of God is used to justify the destruction of His creation as well as of His flagship: the human being. At present, a sense of dissatisfaction and unrest domi- nates human life. Individuals in society, in general, seem like castaways. An absence of a sense of belonging in modern society may stem from the way religious nourishment is promulgated. As a result, the spiritual concerns of the His Beatitude Theodoros II I