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Kazakhstan|life|September 19, 2014 / 10:31 AM
Religious leaders in Kazakhstan speak out against extremism

AKIPRESS.COM - mosqueReligious leaders from around the world on Thursday in Astana showed unity and the determination to make themselves heard by politicians in a world torn apart by wars that are often presented as conflicts between civilizations.

"It is very necessary that this Congress transcends the dialogue among religious leaders to promote another dialogue, between the religious leaders and the politicians. And it must be a dialogue between people who listen," said Speaker of Kazakh Senate Kasym Zhomart Tokaev in an interview with Efe.

Distinguished representatives of Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism, Taoism and Shintoism are in Astana for the 13th meeting of the Congress' Secretariat to prepare for the 5th triennial Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.

The 5th Congress, to be held in Astana in June 2015 under the title "Dialogue among Religious and Political Leaders in the Name of Peace and Development," seeks to open new avenues of communication and cooperation.

"We will invite politicians who are really capable of contributing to the dialogue between different religions. Among them, of course, will be presidents and prime ministers," Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Yerzhan Ashikbaev told a press conference.

Only that way, many of the leaders say, can the initiative move from words to action, which is vital to finding a definitive solution for a series of conflicts falsely characterized as having a religious purpose by the people who start them.

With Islamist extremism at the center of world attention due to the rise of the Islamic State, all the leaders meeting in Astana wished to make it clear that in no way can terrorism be related to one of the most important faiths on the planet.

"All the leaders meeting here today have emphasized that Islam has nothing to do with terrorism. That has even been underscored by representatives of Christian religions," Yerzhan Mayamerov, Kazakhstan's grand mufti, told Efe. He recalled that Kazakhstan, a country in which more than 140 ethnic groups of practically all religious convictions coexist, has succeeded like few others in avoiding religious fundamentalism.

Launched in 2003, the religious Congress, which is regarded as one of the most important events organized by Kazakhstan, is seeking to go beyond interfaith dialogue to win support from politicians.

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