Dr Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, the Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), has called on the Crans Montana yearly Forum held in Monaco to welcome the inter-faith dialogue initiative launched by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud “for its significance and for its close relevance to the issues propounded during the Forum, based on the understanding that inter-faith dialogue is essential to dialogue of cultures, the backdrop against which the alliance of civilizations can be initiated, and the surest way to overcome the bitter legacies of the past that affect the relations between the Muslim world and the West in general.” In his address before the Forum attended by international prominent personalities, Dr Altwaijri commended the initiative launched by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, describing it as “a leading, wise initiative especially that is comes from a high-profile personality and from a holy land.” Dr Altwaijri is taking part in the 19th yearly session of the Crans Montana Forum which opened this afternoon in the Principality of Monaco and will last for 4 days. The Director General of ISESCO stated in his address at the opening of the forum that the three themes that will be debated during the three special reflect ISESCO's interest and translate the aspirations of the Muslim world. He pointed out that the issue of “Civilizations facing Globalization” is one of the central subjects in which ISESCO takes keen interest just as it so does in other related intellectual and cultural themes, including “the threats to cultural diversity”, “the Mediterranean at the Crossroads of North and South, the Eastern and the Western Worlds”. He underscored that the issues to be debated under the second theme, namely Jerusalem and the three religions of the Book, the dialogue between Christianity and Islam, Islam and its compatibility with modernity, human rights and tolerance, all are of utmost importance and worthwhile of debate among this elite of thinkers, wise men and officials attending the forum.
