Amman: The Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Institute for Religious Studies (RIRS), Prince El Hassan bin Talal, Wednesday sponsored the opening of the Institute’s seventh international symposium entitled Humanity in Times of Peace and in Times of War.

Prince El Hassan stressed that the true meaning of dialogue between followers of religions is to achieve justice and remove injustice between them, explaining that faiths cannot agree when their followers exploit them to perpetuate injustice and occupation and impose a fait accompli.

He said the problem is not religious beliefs, but rather political conflicts and material interests, explaining the “importance” of analytical thought, adopting a friendly culture between people and building trust as a common basis for dialogue.

He discussed looking at the East with the “eyes of humanity” and talking about Eastern cultures as an incubator of civilisations that contain within their contents the spirit of radiance, the unity of human conscience and unive
rsal human values.

He discussed the “need” for human dignity to become a guide for policies and the transition to talk about diversity, interdependence and respect for the identity of the other to achieve equality as an equal degree of dignity.

The Prince added, “The tragedies we see should not weaken or undermine our faith and belief,” referring to the principle of “loving people and using things instead of using people and loving things.”

The Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church, Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, stressed that it is not possible to stand idly by in the face of the death of thousands of innocent people and millions of displaced people.

He discussed finding an “international balance” to facilitate and support the opportunity for peace, safety and security.

He added, “The world needs leaders who work hard for peace, to extinguish all forms of conflict and war and to spread the concepts of love, brotherhood and tolerance.”

He stressed the necessity of raising individuals on the sublime me
ssage through education, mosques, churches, workshops and the media, adopting the correct interpretation of sacred texts in their historical, cultural and social contexts.

In turn, the Papal Ambassador to Jordan, Bishop Giovanni Dal Toso, discussed multilateral diplomacy in building peace and achieving development in the world.

The RIRS and the Department for Interreligious Dialogue in Vatican City organised the symposium in cooperation with the Pontifical Embassy in Jordan, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Jordan and the Vatican and the founding of the Institute.

Source: Jordan News Agency