"We extend our hands for dialogue and cooperation with the West to develop the religious discourse but without any foreign dictations," Khaled said.

LONDON, August 19, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – Sending a world message that Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance, an international conference is to open in London Sunday, August 21, with the participation of foreign dignitaries and thousands of young people from around the world.

Titled "Together for a Better Future," the conference is held upon an initiative from famed Muslim preacher Amr Khaled to discuss a host of social and family issues such as violence, extremism, crime, unemployment and other social and family problems.

"The idea of the conference came up in the wake of the series of violent attacks that hit different parts of the world as well as other social problems of corruption, violence, crime, towering unemployment rates and family problems," Khaled told IslamOnline.net.

"The conference will seriously discuss means to combat violence as well as introducing reforms in the society on the economic, political and social levels."

The conference, organized by the Right Start Foundation headed by the Muslim preacher, is due to witness a strong international representation.

Among foreign dignitaries showing up is British minister of state Peter Gooderhom; Sir Mike Gillick, Inspector of West Midland Police; Rick R. Little, President of Imaginations Group; and Maria Eitel, President of the Nike Foundation.

International organizations such as the United Nations, the World Health Organization, Human Appeal International, and Financial Times, will also be represented in the meeting.

"The conference is a serious effort to cooperate with the international bodies concerned to tackle youth problems," Khaled said.

On choosing the British capital to hold the conference, the Muslim preacher said that the issues scheduled to be discussed in the meeting have international dimensions and influence on Muslim minorities around the world.

"The conference is held in London in the wake of the London attacks and the mounting threats that pose dangers to the lives of Muslims abroad."

London transport system was hit by a series of bomb blasts on July 7, leaving 56 people killed and more than 700 others wounded.

"We extend our hands for dialogue and cooperation with the West to develop the religious discourse but without any foreign dictations.

"We want to establish solid political, economic and social relations with the West to serve our development process."

More than 1.4 million Muslim youth in the Arab world have expressed their rejection of violence and extremism, according to a poll organized by the Muslim preacher.

"Uprooting violence requires a positive contribution from the West to carry out programs to achieve development in a bid to solve the unemployment problem facing youth."

The London conference is due to tackle three main pivots: The reasons behind extremism, violence, and drug addiction and drafting solutions to tackling these problems; enhancing women's role in Arab societies; and the unemployment problem.

Khaled has launched a nation-wide campaign for reducing unemployment rates and creating more job opportunities for more than 16 million jobless in the Arab world.