"Interreligious dialogue is one of the most effective tools in combating extremism and terror, because change through dialogue is inclusive, participatory, and sustainable, which in the long run makes it more effective," the Director General of KAICIID Fahad Abualnasr told representatives of world religions at the Religions against Terrorism International Conference in Astana, Kazakhstan, on 31 May 2016.

More than 130 world leaders, religious leaders, policy makers and experts attended the conference, including Chairman of the Senate of Kazakhstan, His Excellency Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and President of the Parliament of the United Arab Emirates, Dr. Amal Al Qubaisi.

Held under the Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev’s initiative on countering international terrorism, which he announced at the UN General Assembly last September, the conference brought together parliamentarians, religious leaders, heads of international organizations and experts. The theme of the conference was terrorism prevention and the role of religions in preventing violence.  The event was held within the framework of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions which last year was attended by the UN Secretary General for the first time. The Congress of World and Traditional Religions is an annual event. The first congress was held in 2003.

Greeting the gathering on behalf of the Secretary General Faisal Bin Muaammar and the KAICIID Board of Directors, Director General Abualnasr highlighted the critical and important role that religious leaders and religious communities play in preventing violence in the name of religion.

“No religion calls for violence and no religion tolerates hatred, prejudice, discrimination in its name. On the contrary, we are motivated by the conviction that religion is and must be part of the solution.

Dialogue is a tool that religious leaders use to achieve resilience, mutual respect and social cohesion between communities. It is an antidote to extremism. I have seen it in action in Africa, Asia, and in the Middle East. In regions where the media tells us, hopelessness reigns, I have seen courageous religious leaders and policy makers in dialogue, cooperating to bring back hope.”