Ammon News - Chairman of the Board of the N. Nazarbayev Centre for Development of Interfaith and Interciviliation Dialogue Bulat Sarsenbayev invited HRH Prince Hassan Bin Talal to the 7th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions. The two met in Amman during the chairman’s visit between November 24 and December 2.

Sarsenbayev also presented official invitations to the upcoming event to the First Deputy of the Royal Aal Al Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought Nabil Al Saheb, the Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs Musa Maaytah, the Grand Mufti of Jordan Abdul Karim Saleem Khasawneh, and the Director of the Royal Institute for Interfaith Studies Rineh Khattar.

“The congress, which is held once every three years, has been a unique forum for world and spiritual leaders to cooperate and discuss current global issues,” Sarsenbayev told The Jordan Times.

Participants will use dialogue to ensure peaceful coexistence between different religions and cultures around the world, he added. He noted that this event has been highly supported by world leaders over the years, including His Majesty King Abdullah who participated in the 5th Congress in 2015.

As a multi-ethnic nation comprised of more than 100 ethnic groups, Kazakhstan shows great interest in these forms of interreligious dialogues as means to achieve stability in Kazakhstan and in neighbouring countries, said Sarsenbayev.

Sarsenbayev also noted that the number of participating countries in the congress has greatly increased since its first initiation in 2003, inaugurated by the first president of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev.

“The 1st congress was held in 2003 with delegates and representatives from 17 countries. In the upcoming 7th congress, we expect representatives from 70 countries, including Jordan,” he said.

He also noted that the 19th Session of the Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions was held in October with the participation of representatives from 200 countries.

During these sessions, which are held before each congress, participants propose their visions and agree on a general theme and issues to be discussed in the upcoming congress, he said.

The theme of the 7th congress, which will be held in September 2022 in Nur-Sultan over the course of four days, is “the role of leaders of world and traditional religions in the spiritual and social development of humanity in the post-pandemic period”, according to Sarsenbayev.

He noted that during the congress four panel sessions will be held: Session one will discuss “the role of religions in strengthening spiritual and moral values in contemporary world” and session two will discuss “the role of education and religious enlightenment in strengthening the respectful coexistence of religions and cultures, justice and peace”.

“The contribution of religious leaders and politicians to the formation of global inter-religious dialogue and peace, countering extremism, radicalism and terrorism, particularly the religiously motivated kind,” and “the contribution of women to the well-being and sustainable development of society, and the role of religious communities in supporting the social status of women” will be discussed in sessions three and four, said Sarsenbayev.