InterfaithNews.Net

Egyptian activist and URI Global Council member Dr. Mohamed
Mosaad critiques attempts at fighting "fundamentalism" by shutting
down discourse. Instead he proposes that fundamentalism, in particular Islamic
fundamentalism that promotes violence between religions, should be countered
by likewise returning to the holy books (the fundamentals) in true
intra-religious dialogue.

The fifth World Social Forum was held in January in Porto Alegra, Brazil,
bringing together groups from civil society who are interested in combating
the ill-effects of capitalist imperialism. The following report covers a
panel on "International ethics, religious conflicts and peace",
whose emphasis was the relationship of religion to violent conflict and how
violence can be overcome.

While most pundits blame Islamic fundamentalism (or Jewish, or
Christian, etc.) for violence in the name of religion, Turkish author Harun
Yahya believes it is rather radicalism that drives the
supposedly-religious to violence. To achieve a mutual peace will require
sustained efforts at educating all believers about the truths in other
religions and downplaying radical ideologies.

Christian and Muslim leaders work to dispel rumors of rampant proselytism in
Aceh province, the staunchly-Islamic Indonesian province and site of the most
widespread destruction in the wake of the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

The Niwano Peace Foundation, a Buddhist organization that annually recognizes and honors interreligious work through the Niwano Peace Prize, will this year honor Christian theologian and interfaith activist Hans Küng at a ceremony in Tokyo, Japan, on May 11, 2005.

"As the year 2004 ended
with many unresolved violent conflicts among religious communities, a group
of volunteers of diverse faiths gathered in New Delhi, India to prove that
peace among religions is indeed possible." Also see coverage of the
2003 event.

Rev. Al Bloom of Hawai'i writes of the duty of all religious believers
to express the social, affirming implications of their religious beliefs when
engaged in social discourse, as well as the need to understand the meaning
and fact of "separation of church and state."

In his February "Executive Director's Letter", Charles Gibbs
urges URI Cooperation Circles to join in support for three major United
Nations' observances in 2005: World Environment Day, the 60th Anniversary
of the UN Charter (and 5th for the URI's), adn the International Day of
Peace