Islam and Peace
Progress in Inter-Religious Dialogue
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The second principle given by the Qur’an is purely
a matter of pragmatism. That is, matters should be
settled on practical grounds by avoiding their
theoretical aspects. This principle is derived from
this verse of the Qur’an:
To you your religion and to me mine (109:6).
This principle is generally referred to, in today’s
context as religious co-existence. This means that
whenever common grounds for agreement between
two or more parties cannot be arrived at on an
ideological basis, then the way of practical co-
existence must be adopted.
The Community of Saint Egidio provides a good
example of a continuing dialogue of this nature.
This promotes interaction on a mass scale between
adherents of different religions. In view of its
vastness it may be rightly termed a super dialogue.
The religious meet held under the auspices of the
Community of Saint Egidio on a large scale each
year makes a considerable contribution towards the
achievement of the goal targetted by inter-religious
dialogue.
