SEARCH for “Interfaith Dialogue” on the international media websites and you will find few reports on the historic interfaith meet in Spain. Time magazine has articles and issues since 1930 on its website, but the interfaith report titled “Saudi King calls for Interfaith talks” it published in March has been pulled down. It no longer exists. The CNN site has a 2-minute video file on the event, but no story. BBC does have a couple of reports on it, but nothing much in detail. A little bit of praise and a bit of skepticism on the whole affair that leaves the reader questioning the initiative rather than seeing it as a historic event. When it comes to accusations, the media and the political leaders are in the forefront demanding reforms, peace and cooperation. But when such an initiative is taken to foster peace, forget about support and cooperation, they don't even have words of appreciation. Can an event in which the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, on behalf of the Muslim world, received Jewish rabbis, Christian priests and religious leaders of other faiths with open arms be missed out in media? Take another instance, this month the ICC sought the arrest of Sudan President Omar Al-Bashir for crimes against humanity and war crimes. Can ICC really turn to Sudan ignoring the bigger war crimes perpetrated in broad daylight in countries such as Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan. With such attitudes can the West really help in finding solutions? Note what King Abdullah said in an interview in Spain: “We think that the situation in the region requires every possible international effort in light of the difficult crisis it faces. Whether this effort is American, Russian, European, Islamic or Arab, we will not hesitate to support it as long as it is sincere and serious in dealing with these crises, and as long as it aims at achieving regional security, stability and prosperity, including the legitimate rights of the people of the region. Our international friendships are based on the defense of those rights and interests of the region and its peoples and nothing else.” Efforts at finding solutions are required as long as they are “sincere.” The West is making a lot of “effort,” but it should first work on making it sincere and fair. __
