http://minaret.sgforums.com/forums/2570/topics/232781 en-US 60 <p>DOHA – More than 200 Muslim scholars and intellectuals will come together in the Qatari capital on Saturday, January 20, to mull ways of promoting dialogue between the different Islamic schools of thought and warding off sectarian divisions between<br /> <br /> "The Doha Conference for Dialogue of Islamic Schools of Thought will seek to bridge the gap between the Sunnis and Shiites in order to avoid divisions between the Islamic sects," Aisha Al-Manna, the dean of the Qatari College of Sharia`h and chair of the conference, told IslamOnline.net.<br /> <br /> The three-day conference is held under the theme "Schools of Thoughts &amp; Contemporary Challenges".<br /> <br /> The event is organized by the Qatari College of Sharia`h in cooperation with Al-Azhar University and the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought.<br /> <br /> A galaxy of prominent Sunni and Shiite Muslim scholars and intellectuals will attend the conference.<br /> <br /> Leading among attendees are Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, the president of the International Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS), Akmeleddin Ihsanoghlu, the Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), and Ayatollah Sheikh Mohammed Ali Al Taskhiri, Secretary General of The World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Thought.<br /> <br /> Also attending are Dr Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, the Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Mahmoud Hamdi Zaqzouq, Egypt's Minister of Awqaf (religious endowments) and Grand Mufti of Syria Dr. Ahmed Badr al-Din Hassoun.<br /> <br /> <strong>Muslim Unity</strong><br /> <br /> Manna said the meeting will seek to foster unity among the different Islamic sects.<br /> <br /> "The idea is not to change beliefs of the Sunnis and Shiites but to open a dialogue between various sects and schools of thought to heal rifts and avoid divisions," she added.<br /> <br /> Four years after the US invasion-turned-occupation, Iraq has been plagued by a bloody cycle of sectarian violence between Shiites and Sunnis.<br /> <br /> The UN has said that more than 34,000 Iraqis were killed in violence last year alone.<br /> <br /> Pakistan is also a scene of occasional attacks between Sunnis and Shiites.<br /> <br /> Manna said attendees will also discuss the phenomenon of "exclusivism" and its dangerous impact on inter-faith dialogue.<br /> <br /> The unity of the Muslim nation and obstacles hindering proximity between the different schools of thought will also be probed, she added.<br /> <br /> Manna urged politicians and intellectuals to seek easing tensions between followers of the different Islamic sects.<br /> <br /> She voiced hope that Muslim attendees would succeed in reaching common ground on promoting unity between the different Islamic schools of thought.<br /> <br /> The first conference for proximity between the Islamic sects was held in Cairo in 1979.<br /> <br /> Retrieved from:<br /> <a href= "http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&amp;cid=1168265727030&amp;pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout" rel= "nofollow">http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&amp;cid=1168265727030&amp;pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout</a></p> Sat, 20 Jan 2007 17:54:04 +0800 minaret.sgforums.com:2570:232781:5894264 fudgester http://minaret.sgforums.com/forums/2570/topics/232781