Moscow (AsiaNews) Religious leaders attending the World Religious Summit want to use religion as a foundation for peace and dialogue between civilisations rather than as a source of conflicts. Their goal is laid out in a message that was even signed by delegations representing countries like China and Iran that are unfamiliar with religious freedom.
"We state the importance of religious freedom in today's world. Individuals and groups must be immune from coercion. . . . It is also necessary to take into account the rights of religious and ethnic minorities".
More than 200 representatives from the world's various religions took part in the meeting organised by the Russian Orthodox Church. They condemned terrorism and extremism in all its forms as well as any attempt to justify them in the name of religion.
The religious leaders underlined the essential role played by education and communication in preventing the spread of extremist ideas. They said that "[s]chool, mass media, and preaching by religious leaders should return to our contemporaries the full knowledge of their religious traditions".
Their message also stressed the need for an international economic order based on justice and morality. For them a "life lived only for financial profit and facilitating production progress becomes barren and meager. Being aware of this, we call on the business community to be open and responsible towards the civil society".
The summit's final document will be sent to G8 leaders whose annual meeting is scheduled for mid-July in Saint-Petersburg, Russia.