Riyadh Symposium Calls for Forum to Promote 

Understanding Between Muslims and the West

More than 90 scholars representing over 25 countries participated in the Symposium on Islam and the Dialogue of Civilizations held in Riyadh in March. The four-day conference, held at the King Abdulaziz Library, concluded its deliberations on March 21 by adopting the call made by Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz in his opening speech to the gathering in which he urged greater efforts aimed at promoting dialogue between Muslims and the West. Among a set of recommendations adopted by the symposium was a proposal put forward by former Turkish Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan that called for setting up an international forum in Riyadh to promote understanding.

Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs and Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Richard Murphy told the participants that the terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001, have made the American people believe that they are hated by others, particularly Muslims. He said both sides share the blame for mistrust between Muslims and the West, stressing that rational dialogue is the only way to clear misconceptions. A permanent forum established for this purpose would do much to erase misunderstandings and promote dialogue. 

The symposium’s first session was devoted to Saudi Arabia’s efforts to promote dialogue between civilizations through the establishment of cultural and Islamic centers in different countries around the world. It was attended by a large number of scholars, including Dr. Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR); Patrick Seale, a British author and historian; and Dr. William Vendley, an American scholar and writer.

The symposium’s final resolution called for greater efforts to promote inter-faith dialogue, the formulation of a long-term strategy for undertaking more inter-cultural translation projects and making use of the latest information technology to facilitate understanding between Muslims and the West.