The Address of His Highness

Shaikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al- Thani,

Amir of the State of Qatar

(Delivered on his behalf by)

His Highness

Shaikh Abdullah Bin Khalifa Al-Thani

Prime Minister of the State of Qatar

In the Name of God,

The Most Compassionate, The Most Merciful.

And Peace and Prayers be upon the Seal of the Prophets, Almustafa, The Honest

Your Excellencies,

Honourable Audience,

            I welcome you to the Second Seminar on the Islamic-Christian

Dialogue held in Doha, and wish you all success in realizing its desired objectives. The First Seminar was held last year at an extremely difficult time when the war was going on in Iraq. The convention of this Seminar acquires additional importance as we face serious repercussions portending the gravest threats to peace, security and stability, because it represents a meeting to exalt the sublime values of Islam and Christianity.

            Last year’s address mentioned some of the obstacles in the way of civilized cooperation and interaction between the followers of the two heavenly religions, and the need to find out the roots of those obstructions so as to guard against them. In this respect, I would like to recall with you some of the fundamental constants from which we are supposed to set out in our dialogue. The two religious – Islam and Christianity – agree on the belief in the oneness of God; that the true religion of God is there to serve man in having the right to a better life and to spread peace, love, and accord and cultivate the earth; and that there are a number of spiritual values and moral principles which Man must have. These are some of the common denominators between Islam and Christianity.

            The Holy Qur’an states that God’s religion is one; that all prophets were propagating it after God prescribed a law and a way for each one of them. The diversity of heavenly laws and a way in an explicit Quranic principle. The Holy Qur’an says:

“To each among you have we prescribed a law and an open way. If Allah had so

              willed, He would have made you a single people, but (His plan is) to test you in      what He Halt given you; so, strive as in a race in all virtues. The goal of you all          

               is to Allah; it is He that will show you the truth of the matters in which ye

               dispute”.

The Qur’an also cites beliefs, rules and educative stories from heavenly messages prior to Islam, and reminds us in the Holy verse that:

“Those who believe (in the Qur’an), those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Sabians and the Christians any who believe  in Allah and the Last day and work righteousness- on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve”.

If the multiplicity of religions is striving in virtues, that should

 be sphere for acquaintance. The Holy Qur’an tell us:

            “O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female,

            And made you into nations and tribes that ye may know each other. Verily

            The most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous

            of you”.

            From this starting point, dialogue comes out as a gift of God to man. It is also openness to the other, and as such it is an expression of love between the Creator and among human beings themselves. The belief in God unites mankind. All heavenly books affirm this fact. Hence the points of agreement and communication are numerous and deep. Dialogue between religions can highlight these points and deepen them. But wars on religious backgrounds, which were the cause of great destruction to humanity, cannot be for sake of God Almighty because he calls for love and peace and not hatred, illwill and fighting.

            Dialogue should be based on reciprocal respect. Since the heavenly religions are of the same essence and represent a basic component of the character of peoples and individuals, dialogue can form a wide framework that would help all participants in it to understand their different traditions and study that on which they agree and where they differ, to deepen the points of agreement and consider the points of variance and accept them on the ground of respect of the other.

            Dialogue between religions is required because it is a means to knowledge, and knowledge is the best way to communicate and discarding all forms of stringency and intolerance. The correct reading of religion in the light of the constants I have referred to are essential in the pursuit of knowledge.

            The world today has become a large global village, which makes communication among human beings inevitable. If the past eras in history had seen confrontations on a back of religious beliefs it is now high time for the followers of all religions to cooperate to face the common human destiny. The Holy Qur’an calls for opening dialogue with human beings. The Holy Qur’an teaches us to call to righteous way with wisdom and good exhortation, and not to dispute with the people of the heavenly religions except with the best means:

            “And dispute ye not with the people of the Book, except with means better (than mere disputation) unless it be with those of them who inflict wrong (and injury), but say, we believe in the revelation which has come down to us and that which came down to you; our God and your God is One; ant it is to Him we bow (in Islam)”.

            History bears witness that the relation between Islam and Christianity had a positive aspect ever since the beginning of the call of Islam. The great respect and trust given by our gracious Prophet to the Christians as demonstrated by his call to his companions to Christian Abyssinia and his covenant with the people of Najran, contributed to enhancing and promoting that relation. This position was established in many Qur’anic verses that spoke of the Jesus Christ and his gracious mother (the virgin), the amity of Christians to the Muslims, the sayings of the Prophet not to the free non- Muslims and many other historical evidences of the positive dealing by the wise Caliphs who succeeded the Prophet with the Christians, which was the course followed by those Caliphs.

            The relations between Muslims and Christians, despite some confrontations, were in general along this course. However, it is our duty to work jointly to clear this course by explanation and correction of the erroneous information spread by some media that do not abide by accuracy or objectivity.

            It is my belief that the main cause for the suspicion and doubt that sometimes taint this relation is the disgraceful behavior of a few people of both religions, which contrary to their sublime principles.

We hope that this Seminar will succeed in deepening awareness of the unity of Islam and Christianity in the essence of the message and the human values and principles it calls to, so that understanding could deepen and rapprochement between the follower of two religions would increase. Perhaps it is useful to widen the dialogue in the next year’s seminar to become an Islamic-Christian- Jewish dialogue through the participation of representatives of the Jewish religion, which concurs with Islam and Christianity in the belief in the oneness of God. That is the way to build a decent human life where the principles of love, tolerance and equality prevail for the good of mankind.

            May the peace, the mercy and the blessings of God be upon you.