Abu Dhabi: “Interreligious Dialogue and Extremism: Reasons and Remedies” was the title of the First Arab Thinkers Forum, held in Abu Dhabi from 17 to 18 January at the Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research. The only non-Muslim speaker was Fr. Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot, secretary of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, who intervened during the first session during which the Grand Mufti of Lebanon, Sheikh Abdul Latif Daryan, also gave an address. Fr. Ayuso Guixot structured his discourse around five key points: extremism, the culture of encounter, the key role of religious leaders, the need for sincere dialogue and the importance of prayer. With reference to the key role of religious leaders, the secretary of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue underlined that “extremist tendencies, irrespective of their origin, are actually among the most dangerous threats to world peace and security”, and are incompatible with a truly religious ethic.
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