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CAIRO: HE Sheikh Ali Gomaa the Grand Mufti of Egypt, and Co-Chair of the C-1 World Dialogue called upon Imams, preachers and ministers of the mosques and churches in Egypt and the Arab Islamic world to fight intolerance in their sermons and personal contacts. The Grand Mufti was responding to data in the C-1 World Dialogue Annual Report that showed that in both the Muslim world and the West there was an increase among the general population in both the West and the Muslim world of hostility towards other religions. Sheikh Ali was speaking at the launch of the C-1 Annual Report.
“We need profound change in religious discourse” the Grand Mufti told journalists at the launch,”to move religious discourse from aggressive and negative attitudes towards other religions, to the spirit of tolerance. And co-existence.”
“Misunderstanding and misinterpretation needs to be countered by truth. We must engage the culture and address the root causes”, the Grand Mufti said. ”We need to change attitudes, Radio is key and I am pleased to say that Ezzad Qu´ran karim (Qu´ran Radio) is diversifying the broadcast and reinforcing the message of cooperation and peace with special commentaries between recita-tions“.
Former British Prime minster Tony Blair´s is also a member of the C-1 World Executive, and in a message addressed to the Grand Mufti on the occasion of the launch, Blair declared that, “there are few more important tasks today than locating a proper place for religion in the affairs of the world, drawing on its wisdom to help solve the world´s problems, and increasing understanding both of and between the different faiths“.
“We are all close neighbours now, which makes the task all the more urgent. If people of different faiths can co-exist in mutual respect, then so much the better for our world. I know that the C-1 World Dialogue can and will play an invaluable part in this vital endeavour,“ Blair said.
Blair said the C-1´s role is to help translate dialogue into constructive action, and the more this hap-pens the more religions will be seen in a positive light. “In a globalized world we cannot afford to ignore faith. In a shrinking world we must be global citizens as well as citizens of our own countries.
HRH Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal, Personal Envoy for HM King Abdullah II. of Jordan and a member of the C-1 Executive, described the launch of C-1 and the Annual Report as “ a moment of great satisfaction” and a most positive development in the effort to avert a clash of civilizations.”
The Grand Mufti also received a message from the Anglican Bishop of `London, the Right Rever-end Dr. Richard Charters who is Co- Chair, with the Grand Mufti of the C-1 World Dialogue. Bishop Chartres described the C-1 as an important initiative with a “unique potential” to improve relations between the Muslim world and the West because it involves business and religious leaders, academics, public figures and media leaders who all share a strong commitment to improve relations.”
“Establishing and maintaining peace is one of the most urgent issues of our time”, the Bishop said. “But for it to be possible it requires that we better understand the issues that threaten peace, how people are responding to them and how the media is shaping awareness of them. I very much hope the C-1 Annual Report will stimulate constructive debate.”

Roland Schatz, Co-Founder of the C-1 Foundation and Editor-in-Chief of Media Tenor, highlighted the positive echo on President Barack Obama´s Cairo speech in Arabic media. The feedback in American and European outlets was more reserved, because journalists doubted, that one single speech can bridge deep gap between the Western and Islamic worlds. “The melt-down of trust in 2008 – which is documented clearly in the polls cited in the Annual Dialogue Report and which can be traced to the media coverage worldwide – could be overcome best by changing the stereotype-driven news selection: If the media reports more intensive on the day-to-day life in the Muslim, Jewish or Christian societies, and Islam is no longer reduced to terrorism, Western protagonists are no longer portrayed as colonialists, than there is some hope for a better understanding of “the other”, Schatz explained in Kairo´s American University.

The complete ADR 2009 can be downloaded at www.mediatenor.com

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