• Accueil / Homepage
  • À propos / About us
  • Contact

Logo

Navigation
  • Articles
  • Actualités / News
  • Index 1
    Acteurs / Actors
    • Individus / Individuals
    • Organisations / Organizations
    • Pays / Countries
  • Index 2
    Charia / Sharia
  • Index 3
    Résistance / Resistance
  • Index 4
    Radicalisation / Radicalization

Conference on religions sparks split before it starts

By Point de Bascule | on September 9, 2011 |

Dalai Lama joins controversial Muslim scholar at McGill-organized event

The Gazette September 6, 2011

By KAREN SEIDMAN

Original address: http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/Conference+religions+sparks+split+before+starts/5356217/story.html

The Dalai Lama will join controversial Muslim scholar Tariq Ramadan in Montreal on Wednesday for a conference on world religions and peace in the aftermath of 9/11.

But rather than promising inspiration in a world plagued by religious tumult, the conference has already stirred up controversy and dissension as critics charge that the Dalai Lama is being duped into promoting Islamic fundamentalism.

The Second Global Conference on World’s Religions After Sept. 11 is being organized by McGill University and the Université de Montréal and organizer Arvind Sharma, a professor of comparative religion at McGill, says the goal is to debate how religions can contribute to peace in the world.

He is also hoping to have the participants adopt three resolutions, including one that says violating the sanctity of the scripture of any religion amounts to violating the sanctity of all religions.

To Tarek Fatah, founder of the Canadian Muslim Congress, this is just a way of saying religions are above reproach and tacitly endorsing Sharia, or Islamic law, and he is furious the Dalai Lama would be asked to support that.

“This is a sugar-coated attempt by Islamists to co-opt other religious leaders being asked to come here in good faith,” said Fatah, a critic of Ramadan who, he charges, masks his true views of Muslim fundamentalism behind a fake facade of moderation.

“This is another way of saying you can’t criticize religion and that’s a catastrophe,” he said. “It’s a very sad day when the Dalai Lama is co-opted into signing this. He’s been duped or he’s very naive.”

But Sharma said the con ference is all about trying to erase the bad name religion acquired after 9/11.

“Religion became a byword for evil,” he said. “We want people to realize that if religion is part of the problem, it can also be part of the solution.”

Sharma understands that Ramadan is a controversial figure, but says he is the most prominent voice on the place of Islam in the modern world. He also believes Ramadan has a right to be heard and that true debates aren’t just between moderates but must include all viewpoints.

Ramadan will be participating in a panel discussion on Peace Through Religion with Robert Thurman (Buddhism), Gregory Baum (Christianity) and Steven Katz (Judaism). In addition to the Dalai Lama, there will also be a presentation by Deepak Chopra, the author.

But Fatah said the conference should be adopting a resolution on women’s rights rather than what they have proposed.

“The Dalai Lama needs to make a firm declaration on gender equality,” he said. “What’s happened is that any attempt to attack Islamism is portrayed as racism. It’s very disturbing.”

The conference opens Wednesday at 9 a.m. at the Palais des Congrès. For information visit gcwr2011.org.

The Dalai Lama will later speak about global citizenship at the Uniprix Stadium in Jarry Park at 1 p.m.

Share this story:
  • tweet

Don / Donation

Faites un don via Paypal. // Donate via Paypal

Infolettre / Newsletter

Recevez les derniers articles et des nouvelles exclusives par courriel.
Cl

Articles

  • L’affaire Khashoggi, selon Rex Murphy, le journalisme contemporain a abandonné toute tentative d’objectivité

    L’affaire Khashoggi, selon Rex Murphy, le journalisme contemporain a abandonné toute tentative d’objectivité

    December 31, 2018
  • Ce que les médias ne vous disent toujours pas sur Jamal Khashoggi

    Ce que les médias ne vous disent toujours pas sur Jamal Khashoggi

    October 29, 2018
  • John R. Bradley : Khashoggi «islamiste politique jusqu’à la fin» et «indignation globale… pour toutes les mauvaises raisons»

    John R. Bradley : Khashoggi «islamiste politique jusqu’à la fin» et «indignation globale… pour toutes les mauvaises raisons»

    October 29, 2018
  • Video – Rubin Report: Thomas Sowell on Facts, Free Speech and Racial Discrimination

    Video – Rubin Report: Thomas Sowell on Facts, Free Speech and Racial Discrimination

    April 27, 2018
  • Nous invitons les lecteurs de Point de Bascule à lire la dernière réplique du prof de philo Xavier Camus

    Nous invitons les lecteurs de Point de Bascule à lire la dernière réplique du prof de philo Xavier Camus

    April 24, 2018

Actualités / Latest News

  • Request identifying flags of group of about 8 marching, face-veiled, on Bank street in Ottawa

    Request identifying flags of group of about 8 marching, face-veiled, on Bank street in Ottawa

    October 29, 2018
  • Sen. Rand Paul: Repenser la relation entre les États-Unis et le royaume de l’Arabie saoudite

    Sen. Rand Paul: Repenser la relation entre les États-Unis et le royaume de l’Arabie saoudite

    October 26, 2018
  • Rioux : ‘Les Français juifs ont 25 fois plus de risques d’être agressés que leurs concitoyens musulmans’

    Rioux : ‘Les Français juifs ont 25 fois plus de risques d’être agressés que leurs concitoyens musulmans’

    April 30, 2018
  • + de 250 personnalités signent un «manifeste contre le nouvel antisémitisme» en France, marqué par la «radicalisation islamiste» et dénonçant un  «silence médiatique »

    + de 250 personnalités signent un «manifeste contre le nouvel antisémitisme» en France, marqué par la «radicalisation islamiste» et dénonçant un «silence médiatique »

    April 27, 2018
  • La chancelière Merkel reconnait la prévalence de l’antisémitisme parmi les migrants d’origine arabe qu’elle a invités en Allemagne

    La chancelière Merkel reconnait la prévalence de l’antisémitisme parmi les migrants d’origine arabe qu’elle a invités en Allemagne

    April 24, 2018
© 2014. Point de Bascule Canada