Reported by Taghrib news agency (TNA), emphasizing on the execution of the 6th Conference of Proximity under the name of “The Role of Proximity Culture on Realization of Social Coexistence”, as an issue to which Imam Khomeini has invited every one since the beginning of the Islamic revolution, Sheikh Hatam Abudayyeh, Lebanese Friday Prayers Imam residing in England, declared that: “This invitation of Imam Khomeini made many great progresses on the unity and the proximity among the religions and Ayatollah Khamenei also goes forward in this way".
The themes of the previous editions of the Islamic proximity conference included ‘proximity among Islamic schools of thought, a present-day necessity’, ‘ proximity’s role in elevation of the Muslim Ummah and building its future’, and ‘global Islamic Awakening and proximity among Islamic schools of thought’.
Prominent scholars and thinkers from Egypt, Britain, Lebanon, Algeria, Morocco, France, Pakistan, India, Yemen, Australia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain attended the international conference.
The final statement of the conference said: Holy Quran invites all human beings and both Muslims and non-Muslims to peaceful co-existence with each other.
“Variety of thoughts will not impede peaceful and prosperous life of people but is a source of making progress; proximity of religions can remove the misunderstandings and challenges of the co-existence of different sects in the human society; meetings on proximity can help the exchange of views and result in convergence of ideas and lead to a practical unity among followers of different religions.”
It added that freedom of expression should not be used as an excuse to insult Muslim sanctities and the international institutions including the United Nations, Non- Aligned Movement and Organization of Islamic Cooperation should pursue those behind the insult to Prophet Muslim (PBUH).
Recently, a film was being promoted by a Florida pastor, Terry Jones, known for previous Quran-burning stunts that angered Muslims in various countries. The film has been widely condemned across the globe including Iran, Afghanistan, Egypt, Libya, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Iran, Yemen, Iraq, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, Morocco, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, etc.