The Malaysian Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations (IDFR), which organized here an international conference entitled "Islam & The West : Bridging the Divide," concluded its deliberations yesterday. According to the Malaysian Foreign Ministry, the conference examined areas and causes of misunderstanding of Islam by the West in order to bridge the information gap that divides the Muslims and the West and to opt for a common language understood by both sides of the divide. Speaking on the occasion, Syed Hamid bin Syed Jaafar Albar, the Malaysian Minister of Foreign Affairs said that it is important to take into consideration the differences and distinction between cultures and civilizations to reach mutual understanding and co-existence.
