Shia cleric calls for interfaith dialogue

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Hujjat-ol-Islam Abolfazl Sajedi, associate professor in Imam Khomeini (RA) Research Institute called for solving the misunderstandings on Shia stressing that interfaith dialogue as a way towards the goal.He said," In the modern world of media, there is not a balance between anti Islamic information given to the people around the world and information provided for the Muslim world while awakening of the people is through the media." He expressed regret that world people have the least information on Shia while misrepresentation of Muslims exceeds the truth saying that one of the best ways to create empathy and international interaction is giving a correct picture of Muslims and solving the misunderstandings. "Therefore the best way for solving the present problems is interfaith dialogue," said the cleric and added that, "such dialogues would gradually change the view of the elites and the people on Islam." He referred to the wrong images of Islam given to the world and said, "In such a world, it is our duty to prevent ideological and political isolation through cultural and particularly religious relations and send the true message of Islam to the people around the world." Author of "Religion and the Modern World" referred to the background of interfaith dialogue in Islam and said," In the time of our Imams (AS), there has been such an open atmosphere for interfaith dialogue that Christians travelled to Muslim countries for scientific developments." He said, "Once interfaith dialogue is spread to the media or particularly universities are allowed to hold meetings for the aim, animosities would be reduced," proposing Wahhabi-Shia dialogue so that people would not accept Wahhabi anti-Shia propaganda anymore. This member of the educational board at Imam Khomeini (AS) Research Institute called unveiling the true nature of Islam for the elites of the world is a necessity of the modern world./129