When the issue at hand is as significant as the integration between world religions in terms of shared values and collective thinking, it is crucial to approach it from a perspective that transcends any partial considerations or subjective viewpoints. This large-scale human project, which for years has epitomized the genuine desire for collaborative work and is the fruit of profound discussions and cooperation among leaders of world religions and beliefs, is not only relied upon to address the current critical needs and their impact on the reality of our world; it is also one of the projects of hope for a better future, built on the dignity of every human being regardless of their religion, color, or race, and the preservation of their societies from all tendencies towards conflict and hatred, and the causes of extinction that threaten this future and the lives of current and future generations.
The Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, with all its members representing the world’s religions through their institutions and bodies concerned with religious and civilizational dialogue, is a qualitative expression of this project and a vital continuation of the spirit and the effectiveness of moral values for the good of humanity.
The meeting of the General Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, held on October 10, 2023, in the Republic of Kazakhstan, emphasized the activation of a precise and permanent mechanism that stimulates the use of spiritual diplomacy and enhances the joint efforts of religious leaders to deal with the most pressing challenges and issues facing humanity within the Congress’s 2023-2033 plan. It also entails reviewing the programs and agenda for dialogue, in order to enhance their effectiveness and follow up on their outcomes and the recommendations adopted to continuously develop these programs.
If the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, in its vision for the upcoming phase, has identified among its most important goals “the continued development of cooperation with multilateral platforms similar in objectives and purposes,” such as the Muslim Council of Elders and other specialized bodies, international organizations, and religious institutions, then the meeting held in Cairo, between Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, represented by the Islamic Research Academy, and the Nursultan Nazarbayev Center for the Development of Interfaith and Inter-Civilization Dialogue, indeed embodied a big step forward in this institutional cooperation.
This is an area that the Muslim Council of Elders has actively focused on as part of its action plan for interfaith dialogue in the upcoming phase. This approach aims to build upon its achievements during the previous phase, most notably the signing of the Document on Human Fraternity by two global religious figures: His Eminence Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, and His Holiness Pope Francis, Head of the Catholic Church, on February 4, 2019, in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. This event was attended by leaders and religious figures representing various world religions.
This milestone prompted the United Nations General Assembly, with the consensus of its member states, to declare February 4 – the day the Document on Human Fraternity was signed – as the International Day of Human Fraternity, commemorated annually by countries worldwide. Additionally, the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity, launched in 2019, has become one of the most prestigious global awards in the fields of dialogue, coexistence, and human fraternity. This also includes the Abrahamic Family House and other leading initiatives and projects that practically apply the lofty human principles stipulated in this document, considered one of the most important texts in modern human history.
Since its establishment in 2014, the Muslim Council of Elders has solidified its presence at the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in the Republic of Kazakhstan. This symbolic and historical presence was crowned by the attendance of the Council’s Chairman, His Eminence Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, at the most recent edition of the Congress in Astana on September 15, 2022, alongside his brother, His Holiness Pope Francis, Pontiff of the Catholic Church, as well as other leaders and religious figures from around the world.
The past phase of the Congress saw intensive work by the Muslim Council of Elders. Following that last meeting of the General Secretariat of the Congress, the Council inaugurated its Central Asian regional headquarters on October 11, 2023, in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. Its location, in the heart of the city with its many cultural landmarks, rich with connotations of peace, dialogue, and coexistence, was chosen consciously to symbolize the country’s values of coexistence and religious and cultural diversity, serving as a model for advancing diversity in many countries.
Additionally, the Council organized the Global Faith Leaders Summit on Climate in Abu Dhabi in November 2023. This event issued a unique, historical declaration, the ‘Call of Conscience: The Abu Dhabi Interfaith Statement for Climate’, which serves as a global spiritual and ethical charter in the field of climate action, endorsed and signed by representatives of more than 40 religious symbols and faith leaders worldwide.
Following that summit, the Muslim Council of Elders organized the Faith Pavilion for the first time in the history of the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties, at its latest summit, COP28, held in Dubai. This pavilion was indeed a unique experience for meetings and discussions on climate and sustainable development issues and their spiritual and ethical dimensions.
It hosted 70 dialogues, with the participation of over 300 symbols, leaders, and representatives of various religions and religious denominations worldwide, serving as a global platform for dialogue on climate issues and an opportunity to discuss ideas that enhance the level of interfaith relations through the engagement of faith leaders and institutions, and to develop the management of these relations. This reflects the Muslim Council of Elders’ steadfast commitment to this vision, shared with the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, and the effectiveness of its programs and initiatives in implementing and developing the mechanisms for implementing this vision.
One significant characteristic of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions was the representative composition of its participants, reflecting the importance of the institutions involved and their expected contributions to fulfilling the Congress’s mission. This includes the importance of proposing and consulting on the planning and programming and suggesting effective means for the mission’s implementation.
In activating this institutional feature, in an effort to develop the work of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, the Muslim Council of Elders, within its future work vision for the upcoming phase, has announced its qualitative engagement in collective thinking and dialogue on the most pressing and urgent global issues. The world recognizes the absolute priority and need for cooperation to face these challenges. These issues, which the Muslim Council of Elders prioritizes in its work programs, include global peace through various levels of interfaith dialogue, both within the Muslim nation and with others, climate change issues, ethical and intellectual challenges, and food security in the face of the dangers of hunger, in addition to the risks of global pandemics.
The General Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions and its leadership are fully aware of the requirements to succeed in this level of dialogue. They include activating a precise and permanent mechanism to follow up on these international issues, with the goal of reviewing the agenda of dialogue programs and enhancing their effectiveness. This also involves monitoring the outcomes and recommendations adopted to continuously develop these programs.
In this context, the readiness of the Muslim Council of Elders, as one of the significant bodies represented in the General Secretariat of the Congress, to contribute to this path is evident. This contribution comes through the Council’s experience in coordinating with global religious partner institutions such as Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, the Vatican, the Anglican Church of Canterbury, the World Council of Churches, and other global religious representative institutions. It also contributes through organizing regional interfaith consultation conferences, as scheduled in the Congress’s work program for the upcoming phase.
Furthermore, the Muslim Council of Elders is determined to move forward in implementing the Congress’s vision in the field of interfaith dialogue. This will be manifested through exploring new horizons for cooperation among religions to confront shared global risks and challenges, in constant cooperation with institutions that share this message, notably the Nursultan Nazarbayev Center for the Development of Interfaith and Inter-Civilization Dialogue.
Developing the work of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions involves continuing to work on developing an integrative vision for the future, contributed to by all the institutions represented, and benefiting from their advanced experiences in working on current global issues, truly representing the most significant motivation for hope in a better tomorrow and working together to achieve it.
