Quran’s Emphasis on Convergence Sets Ground for Islam-Christianity Dialogue
Mohammad Javad Sahebi, who heads the scientific council of Iran’s religion researchers, made the remark while presenting his paper at the first round of Iran-Europe dialogue that began in Italy on Thursday.
He said that while Islam and Christianity share many theological commonalities, due to different reasons there have been some misunderstanding about Islam among Christians.
He said these misunderstandings have been intensified in recent years because of blind terrorism and violence committed by extremist Salafist groups in the name of Islam.
Sahebi stressed, however, that the emphasis of the Quran on the need for Muslims and Christians to come together and Muslims’ respect for the Bible, Jesus Christ (AS) and Hazrat Maryam (Mary (SA)) has provided very good ground for dialogue between the two faiths.
Also addressing the event was Akbar Qowli, Iran’s cultural attache in Italy, who highlighted Iran’s efforts to promote the Iranian Islamic Establishment’s cultural discourse which is the discourse of peace and security.
A number of Iranian and Italian figures and scholars, including Hojat-ol-Islam Qazai Askar, Leader of the Islamic Revolution’s representative in Hajj and pilgrimage affairs, attended the two-day event.
