Forum for Promoting Common Values Among Followers of Religions

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Forum for Promoting Common Values Among Followers of Religions

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ABU DHABI:The recent inauguration of the BAPS temple in Abu Dhabi by Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlights an interesting irony. This grand temple stands in the Muslim-majority UAE, where secularization is on the rise. This event comes shortly after the inauguration of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir in India. While Modi’s government in India blurs the lines between the state and Hindu faith and undermines minority rights, the UAE moves in the opposite direction. The UAE’s secularization, influencing Saudi Arabia as well, is a significant development in the Islamic world. This shift challenges India’s secular values. The UAE has attracted people of various religions and backgrounds to live and work there. Despite Islam being the official religion, the government allows diverse religious practices. Non-Muslims, forming a quarter of the population, have space to worship freely, with many churches, a synagogue, and a gurdwara present. Hindu gatherings and celebrations are also welcomed. The UAE’s tolerance extends beyond religion. Alcohol and pork are available, and Ramadan fasting rules are relaxed. Women have freedom in dress, and discrimination based on religion is rare. These progressive attitudes influence neighboring Saudi Arabia, where Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) is spearheading modernization efforts by reducing Islamic influence and cutting support for radical groups worldwide. This trend towards secularization in the UAE and potentially Saudi Arabia marks a significant shift in the Islamic world. For India, reduced Saudi funding for conservative mosques could lead to a return to moderate religious guidance for Indian Muslims. The UAE’s example challenges the Hindu nationalist dream of a Hindu majoritarian state, often compared to Saudi Arabia’s treatment of non-Muslims. Modi, at the temple inauguration, praised the UAE’s diversity, contrasting India’s fading secularism. As Hindu residents in UAE face this contrast, it prompts reflection on India’s trajectory. The writer, a private equity investor, emphasizes the importance of embracing diversity and secular values in both countries.
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RIYADH: “Forum for Promoting the Common Values among the Followers of Religions,” which brought together senior Muslim scholars and leaders from the countries of the Islamic world and Muslim minority countries, concluded in Riyadh on the 15 May 2022.

This event, held under the umbrella of the Muslim World League (MWL), is considered the most important international religious event. It hosted the leading representatives of all followers of religions in the presence of various religious and intellectual leaders.

The forum issued the “Final Communique and Declaration on the Common Human Values,” in which the participants agreed to affirm that religion is central to every civilization, given its influence in “the formulation of ideas in human societies” and how “it spiritually inspires those who believe in it.”

It stressed that the religion should be separated from the wrongful practices committed by some of its followers and should not be taken advantage of to achieve ends that deviate from its spiritual and reformative purpose.

In the final communiqué, the participants stressed the increasing need for the world to utilize international tools for conflict resolution through “a sincere will, strong determination and the adoption of wise measures.”

They also saw this fraternal meeting as an opportunity to express their shared visions and contribute toward correcting the path that much of humanity is currently on.

They also agreed that the unique characteristics of each religion or sect should be appreciated and recognized as a form of human diversity that reflects the Creator’s wisdom in creating such differences in the first place. SPA (https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/620533)

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