Are we really heading for a future of conflict between Islam and the West? Is faith a cause of conflict or can religions help to promote world peace? A very topical interfaith event at Annandale Street Mosque on at 7.30 pm on Saturday 30th January invites you to grapple with some of the most challenging questions of our age – not least the argument which led to the so called ‘War on Terror’.
The ‘clash of civilisations’ was predicted by Harvard professor, Samuel Huntingdon, who warned that the ending of the cold war would bring a new world order: “The great divisions among humankind and the dominating source of conflict will be cultural… The clash of civilizations will dominate global politics.“
Or not. “We want to bring that hypothesis into the open and show that it is flawed,” says Rev Brian Cooper who is organising Saturday’s event at the mosque in partnership with Mohammed Aslam, chair of the Pakistan Association of Edinburgh.
At the same time the event supported by Edinburgh Interfaith Association, aims to show that religions can promote peace and understanding between communities locally and globally. Speakers include Dr Paul Weller, Professor of Inter-Religious Relations at Derby University (who has just been appointed as one of the UK government’s national faith advisers), exploring the question “Civilisations in Conflict?’, Shah Jamal the Consul-General of Pakistan talking about the situation in Pakistan and south Asia, and Robin Harper MSP giving a Scottish political perspective.
The event is part of an ongoing conversation organised under the broad umbrella of the World Disarmament Campaign Interfaith Peace Work with Annandale Street Mosque.
A Clash of Civilisations or Towards World Harmony? is at Annandale Street Mosque on Saturday 30 January from 7.30pm.
For more information contact Mohammed Aslam 0131 556 3385 or Brian Cooper 0131 446 9545