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Foreword of the second edition
The
first edition of the “White Book on Dialogue among
Civilizations” was published a few months ago. This edition
went out of print in a very short period of time, in all
three languages, i.e., Arabic, English and French. The book
has been welcomed by all the parties and quarters, to whom
copies were donated within the Muslim World and throughout
the globe. The wide acceptance enjoyed by the first edition
of the book was indeed a token of the deep appreciation of
the initiative undertaken by the Organization of the Islamic
Conference together with the Islamic Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization by preparing the contents of this
book and collecting international and regional documents,
papers, communiqués, resolutions and recommendations
featuring in the book and publishing the latter in three
languages. Chief amongst those documents are the resolutions
and recommendations issued by the United Nations General
assembly and the Islamic Summit Conference, pursuant to the
resolution of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers.
Over the period that elapsed between the first and second
editions of the book there has been a growing interest in
the issues relating to the dialogue among civilizations. In
fact, a greater number of books, studies and research papers
on dialogue among civilizations were published worldwide,
and the scope of reflection widened over the issues of the
dialogue, including its questions, results, repercussions,
effects and the broader prospects it opens before humankind
for building a new world based on tolerance and coexistence,
justice and peace, co-operation and mutual respect for all
civilizations and cultures, ethnicities and races.
In
addition to what has been indicated above, the growing and
renewed interest in the issues of dialogue among
civilizations is mirrored by the convening of intellectual
and cultural seminars and encounters to address issues and
questions pertaining to the dialogue among civilizations
from various perspectives, in order to enrich the subject,
raise greater awareness of people about it and promote it.
Given the worsening world crisis as a result of a marked
imbalance in international politics brought about by some of
the adverse repercussions of globalization, attention has
been focussed on initiatives proposed now and then and
endeavours being undertaken to promote the culture of peace,
consolidate its principles, spread it far and wide and make
it into one of the firm foundations of international
politics and an effective and active means of establishing
world peace and security.
Humankind is today aspiring to see an end to the spiral of
disputes that are undermining capabilities and energies and
conflicts that are designed to impose the fait accompli upon
the international community, something that constitutes a
blatant violation of international law and international
legality, leads the world into gloomy prospects, makes the
international situation open onto the worst of
eventualities, puts modern human civilization under serious
threat and prompts racist and extremist powers hostile to
peace and justice to carry out aggressive policies against
defenceless peoples, notably the Palestinian people who has,
over half a century, been a casualty of the savage
aggression of Israel which is consistently refusing to
comply with the resolutions of the international community.
In
view of the fact that dialogue among civilizations is a
universal issue always present on the world intellectual
stage without any specific limit in time, and given that the
Muslim World believes in the dialogue among civilizations,
cultures and heavenly religions, we consider that the
publication of a second edition of this invaluable book will
be of great benefit, will have a positive impact and will
thus enrich the universal contribution at this stage in
respect of dialogue among contemporary civilizations and
cultures.
May
Almighty Allah guide our steps and bless our endeavours.
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