Historic Inter-faith Summit

Dear Friend,

Last week I was privileged to be at the opening ceremony of the World Conference on Dialogue held in Madrid. This was an historic inter-faith conference convened by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, HM King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and organised by the Muslim World league.

I am keenly interested in what you have to say about this initiative. Please e-mail me your thoughts and comments at info@tonyblairfaithfoundation.org.

It's of huge significance that the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, with his very particular place in the world of Islam, is launching this inter-faith dialogue. It has got tremendous possibilities for the future. I have been talking with the King of Saudi Arabia about inter-faith dialogue for a long time; as a deeply religious man he has long believed that people of different religious faiths must come together to express a sense of shared values and a shared commitment to peaceful co-existence.

The fact that so many leading representatives of different faiths were at the conference was a measure of its importance - distinguished members of the Buddhist, Christian , Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh faiths were all there. The conference ranged widely over a huge range of important subjects, including the importance of dialogue in society and how to develop it, common values, and pressing social issues. Cardinal Tauran, President of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, responded at the end of the conference on behalf of the participants. There was a tremendous buzz about the place and I know lots of relationships were forged or strengthened in informal encounters as well as in the official sessions, which bodes well for the future.

I am delighted that two members of the Faith Foundation's International Advisory Council attended and played an active part in the conference discussions, The Grand Mufti of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Rabbi David Rosen, as did members of the Foundation office. David Rosen said afterwards that the fact that this was the initiative of the King of the Muslim world's heartland made it an event of unique significance and great potential but also stressed the importance of the follow-up.

I've made very clear that the Faith Foundation is ready to help in taking forward and developing the conference outcomes. I warmly welcome the fact that the organisers are already thinking about the next steps.

Send me your thoughts and comments about this initiative, I would like to hear your views. Please send them to info@tonyblairfaithfoundation.org. Or go to www.tonyblairfaithfoundation.org to get involved with our activities.

--Tony Blair