Spain Meet For Criminalizing Blasphemy

The conference called on the UN General Assembly to call a special session to promote dialogue and prevent "a clash of civilizations." (Reuters)

"(The conference) calls for international organizations to work to issue a document stating respect of faiths and religious symbols and criminalizing those insulting them," said the conference in a final communiqué.

The conference called on the UN General Assembly to call a special session to promote dialogue and prevent "a clash of civilizations."

"It also calls for pursuing dialogue to spread the culture of tolerance and understanding."

Opened on Wednesday, the three-day conference brought together 200 participants from different faith to bring world's great monotheistic faiths closer.

Leading among attendees were Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdel-Aziz, secretary general of the World Jewish Congress, Michael Schneider, and Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, who is responsible for dialogue between the Vatican and Muslims.

Discussions touched upon a number of hot issues including restrictions on hijab-wearing in some European countries to Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) lampooning cartoons and the unresolved Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The conference was launched by the Saudi king following a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican last November, in the first visit by a Saudi monarch to the Vatican.

Last month, King Abdullah sponsored a conference brought together 600 Muslim scholars and academics to discuss different aspects of inter-faith dialogue.

Anti-terror

The conference also called for an international agreement to combat terrorism.

"Terrorism is a universal phenomenon that requires unified international efforts to combat it in a serious, responsible and just way," said the final statement.

"This demands an international agreement on defining terrorism, addressing its root causes and achieving justice and stability in the world."

The conference also called for more "ways of enhancing understanding and cooperation among people despite differences in their origins, colors and languages," and a "rejection of extremism and terrorism."

Cardinal Tauran said the conference had "stressed the main convictions that we have in common."

Last October, a galaxy of Muslim scholars and dignitaries from 43 countries addressed an open letter to the world's Christian clergy, including Pope Benedict XVI, calling for dialogue between Muslims and Christians based on the common ground between the two religions.

The Muslim World League, which organized the event, said more inter-faith dialogue are planned.

"There is a need for continuity in dialogue and not depending only on resorting to the UN," MWL secretary general Abdullah al-Turki told a news conference.

"This is going to be the first of a series of conferences. We have talked about organizing a conference in Japan."