Dialogue: Hillary Clinton and Strobe Talbott on The US-Muslim world relations at Doha, Qatar, Islam and the West, NewAgeIslam.com

Islam and the West

Dialogue: Hillary Clinton and Strobe Talbott on The US-Muslim world relations at Doha, Qatar

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

PRIME MINISTER SHEIKH HAMAD BIN JASSIM AL THANI: Well, I remember, Talbott, when we talked about Brookings Doha three years ago in Washington, me and you and Martin, we said, "What we are looking for, opening another institute? It's -- you are not for that, and we are also not for that." We thought that in this part of the world, we need to have kind of (inaudible) in different aspects, and some also studies and some data. And you know, we have many institutions and many universities in Qatar open. And for us, what is important: we need to understand each other more between your region and our country, between your country and our countries in this region. And one of these things is to open (inaudible) Brookings Institute Saban Center in Doha.

And I think we benefited a lot. This is the seventh time we did this dialogue. And every time it's growing. I remember the time, it was around 60 persons we invited. And we were pushing to bring the 60 persons. And this year we have 300, because we put a limit of 350, and (inaudible), but now we are looking for more quality. We are looking for the dialogue to have a Doha Center of dialogue.

Our dream and His Highness's dream, how to make Doha Center for everybody to meet, to have different opinions, to have different ideas, but to have same values, and to have same principles of solving all the problems by talking to each other. And I think we, as you know, succeeded by last year. We were having 107 conferences in Doha. And I am talking 107 conferences over 150 persons -- we don't count the smaller conferences. And we were glad to have all the people here for the culture. It's good for people to meet each other. And also, it's good to know why we are angry from each other.

http://newageislam.com/dialogue--hillary-clinton-and-strobe-talbott-on-the-us-muslim-world-relations-at-doha,-qatar/islam-and-the-west/d/2465

Catholic–Muslim Dialogue that can change the world, Islam and the West, NewAgeIslam.com

Islam and the West

Catholic–Muslim Dialogue that can change the world

After all the Common Word events thus far, there has been a spirit of warmth and a belief in future co-operation. There were two historic meetings prior to the signing of the actual document – the first at Yale University last July, which focused on Evangelical Christianity. The second event was at Cambridge University and engaged with the Anglican Communion directly. At that event the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, met with figures such as the Mufti of Egypt and Dr Ali Goma’a.

Make no mistake – these events are making history. But we also have to ask: What is the need for a Common Word? Is this really the discussion of our time? Dialogue between the West and the Muslim world is vital for a variety of reasons, political, economic, cultural and historical. But one may ask further – is the West really a Christian West? Or are we characterising the West, which is arguably post Christian, in a way that does not bear much resemblance to reality?

http://newageislam.com/catholic%E2%80%93muslim-dialogue-that-can-change-the-world--/islam-and-the-west/d/1054

Israel woos Muslims with Urdu website, Islam and the West, NewAgeIslam.com

Islam and the West

Israel woos Muslims with Urdu website

Zia Haq, Hindustan Times

New Delhi, July 25, 2008

For Israel, reaching out to Indian Muslims is a new initiative. On Friday, it launched an official website in Urdu, ostensibly aimed at Indian Muslims, whom Israel is trying to increasingly engage with.

“India is known for its moderate and forward-looking religion of beauty that is Islam. There is no reason why we should not address a large section of a strong community,” Israel’s Ambassador to India Mark Sofer said on Friday, launching the website along with one in Hindi.

Urdu is spoken by around 10-12 per cent of India’s population, mainly Muslims.

Recently, Maulana Illyasi, the chief of the apex body of imams in India, the All-India Association of Imams, had visited the country.

Many at the imams’ association had asked him to reconsider his decision, saying if he went ahead, he could be ostracised. But Illyasi would have none of it and set foot on Israeli soil on February 21, becoming the first practising cleric from the Muslim world to do so.

“The Muslim world does not want to recognise the Jewish state. What is the use of living in denial? My message was that, unlike others, Indian Muslims believe in resolving issues through dialogue,” Illyasi, who is the cleric of a New Delhi mosque, told HT.

http://newageislam.com/israel-woos-muslims-with-urdu-website/islam-and-the-west/d/427

Al-Qaida tape urges Muslims to kill Saudi king, Islam,Terrorism and Jihad, NewAgeIslam.com

Islam,Terrorism and Jihad

Al-Qaida tape urges Muslims to kill Saudi king

29 July 2008, A P

CAIRO: An al-Qaida commander who escaped from a US prison has posted a web video urging Muslims to kill the Saudi king for leading an interfaith conference in Madrid earlier this month.

Abu Yahia al-Libi, who escaped from Afghanistan's Bagram prison in 2005, says "bringing religions together...means renouncing Islam."

Saudi King Abdullah sponsored the dialogue among Jews, Muslims, Christians, Hindus and Buddhists and encouraged all faiths to turn away from extremism.

But al-Libi says "equating Islam with other religions is a betrayal of Islam." He calls for "the speedy killing of this tyrant."

http://newageislam.com/al-qaida-tape-urges-muslims-to-kill-saudi-king/islam,terrorism-and-jihad/d/348