QATAR: JEWISH SCHOLARS TO JOIN RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE SUMMIT

Doha, 27 June (AKI) - For the first time Jewish scholars will take part in the Qatar international conference on religious dialogue to be held on Wednesday and Thursday. It is the third year Doha has hosted the conference, but in previous years the event has been restricted to Muslims and Christians. The inclusion of a Jewish delegation has angered certain Islamic leaders, and representatives of the al-Azhar University in Egypt, renowned scholar Sheikh Yousuf al-Qaradawi and leading Iranian religious leaders have refused to attend in protest.

At a news conference about the event, Aisha al-Mannai, dean of the Sharia, Law and Islamic Studies faculty of the University of Qatar which is organising the conference, told journalists they had "a right to express their views and opposition" over the Jewish participants.

According to the Emirates-based newspaper Gulf News, al-Qaradawi dismissed plans to start a religious dialogue with Jewish religious leaders in May, saying "there can be no dialogue with Jews, who are hounding Palestinians from their land and their houses, using violence and spilling blood."

However, al-Mannai said the decision to invite Jewish scholars came from the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, who announced that he wanted to widen the dialogue to become Islamic-Christian-Jewish, while attending last year's conference. Quoting the Koran, al-Mannai said: "we are committed to religious dialogue...Judaism is one of the three monotheistic religions and the precursor of Christianity and Islam. The Jews are 'People of the Book', like the Christians and the Muslims."

Some 90 people are expected to take part in the conference, including representatives from different churches and the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue. Freedom and human rights will also be discussed at the event.