Aiman Iqbal
Preparations for Kazakhstan’s 7th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions is currently underway. It is scheduled to be held on September 14-15 at Nur Sultan. The congress is expected that the event will be attended by about 130 international delegations from 60 countries, including representatives of Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Shintoism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, etc. The host country Kazakhstan is a beautiful example of interethnic and interfaith harmony where 130 ethnic groups and 18 diverse religious groups living peacefully in the country. “Kazakhstan serves as an example of tolerance and peace among peoples, which is why the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions is so important and “doomed” to success,” Chief Rabbi of Nur-Sultan Shmuel Karnaukh remarked. “Kazakhstan shows by its example how people of different views, and ideologies live in peace, harmony, and mutual respect. Earlier this Summit was scheduled for 2021, but as a result of the COVID-19, the event was postponed. Despite several challenges including pandemic, Kazakhstan is determined to host this important event especially based on its firm believe on peace and prosperity of the world.
As a continuation of Kazakhstan’s peacekeeping mission Kazakhstan, the country is making every effort to resolve the religious differences between countries. The agenda of this year’s Congress is important and relevant as pandemic and climate change crisis is creating global health and economic challenge. This year the summit is aiming to promote interethnic and interfaith harmony is an organic and integral part of the global development model for peace and prosperity. The congress also promotes that the task of spiritual leaders is to give people the right system of moral and ethical coordinates in a world where a pandemic is raging; the climate is changing, an arms race, and a struggle for resources. The congress was first held in 2003 especially in the backdrop of the 9/11 events. Since then the Congress has met six times including including to hold discussions about jointly dealing with the religious disharmony amongst the people of the world.
Over the years, the Congress of World Religious Leaders has transformed into a real mediator in resolving disputes and problems. Since 2003, the forum has been organized regularly, and it began to hold after every three years, and hence grew into a multilateral platform for solving systemic problems. The Congress of the Leaders of the World and Traditional Relations became an exceptional event. Before that, such a large-scale dialogue between religious leaders had not been held. This initiative found its response in the world and proved that it is an effective tool both for resolving disputes and disagreements and for countering terror and religious extremism. That summit ended with adopting a common declaration, in which spiritual leaders announced joint actions to ensure harmony and stability in societies as the basis for a harmonious world in the future. At the 2nd Congress, the participants adopted a document, “Principles of Interreligious Dialogue”, as a mechanism for further joint work and a corresponding declaration calling on representatives of all religions and ethnic groups to prevent conflicts based on cultural and religious differences. The 3rd Congress was dedicated to tolerance issues and maintaining the dialogue of religions and civilizations. The Council of Religious Leaders was also created here, whose task was to cooperate with secular international organizations. During the work of the 4th Congress, the participants introduced an Internet resource within the framework of a single electronic portal G-Global, dedicated to the formation and strengthening of global tolerance and trust. The 5th Congress was devoted to the issues of military conflicts, with a call to the participating parties to stop clashes and, through negotiations, develop agreements to end violence and protect civilians. The 6th Congress has become a platform for appealing to the world community, people and states with an appeal for peace and security.
The upcoming 7th Congress will be unique in all its perspectives. First of all, the fact that Pope Francis I will be present as an honored guest and participant. This is the first visit of the current Pope to Kazakhstan. Also, according to the Secretariat of the Congress, the visit of the Supreme Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill, Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III and a number of other heads of religious confessions and international organizations of different states. In addition, UN Secretary-General AntónioGuterres is also expected to make a video message at the Congress. In a word, taking into account the current international situation, the event is acquiring a global scale and a high level. Considering that the last time a similar meeting of the heads of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches took place in 2016 in Cuba (for the first time in more than 500 years), its significance and influence can hardly be underestimated, especially against the backdrop of current events. Kazakhstan as neutral country is offering a space for all the diverse representatives to meet and discuss the issues that the world is facing.
It should be objectively recognized that the peacekeeping position of Kazakhstan, its authority at the international level and the positive image of a sovereign, peace-loving state, made it possible to create an effective dialogue platform whose activities are aimed at maintaining interethnic and interfaith stability.This important 7th Congress will play a positive role in influencing the geopolitical situation in the world and reducing the destructive impact of the global geopolitical crisis.
