New Delhi: Vice President Hamid Ansari
on Saturday said inter-faith dialogue has emerged as a prominent
civil society initiative between nations and groups amid
raging ethnic and religious conflicts in various parts of the
world.
"The 'Alliance of Civilisations' initiative under
United Nations auspices connects people and organisations
devoted to promoting dialogue among political, religious,
media and civil society leaders, particularly between Muslim
and western societies," he said while addressing a
conference titled "An International Dialogue between Islam and
Oriental Religions" here.
The Vice President emphasised on the need to go beyond
tolerance and said, "the imperative for religious concord in a
framework of equality is evident and compelling. This would be
achieved only through a sustained, candid and uninterrupted
dialogue without a syndrome of superiority or inferiority."
He added that objective of the inter-faith dialogue
should be "locating common values conducive to the maintenance
of ethical standards essential for social harmony and
furtherance of common objectives."
PTI
First Published: Saturday, February 20, 2010, 22:20