Madrid Interfaith Dialogue Conference

The first step to create a UN Council on interfaith dialogue

Sponsored by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and organized by Mohammed al-Turki and the Muslim World League, the "Madrid Interfaith Dialogue Conference" focused on the foundations and importance of dialogue and the need for peaceful cooperation. Approximately 200 delegates representing Christianity, Judaism, Sunni and Shi'a Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and other religious traditions attended; participants also included academics and policymakers. The declaration issued at the end of the conference called for a unified effort to combat terrorism and renew faith-based efforts to address corruption and social problems. It also included a call to avoid the defamation of religions and religious symbols. The conference was viewed as a first step that could spawn an annual interfaith conference, with the potential to lead to the creation of a UN council on interfaith dialogue.