The 2011 Muslim World League, Dialogue: A Human Common Bond (I)

Distinguished moderator, honored friends who have traveled from afar, esteemed guests present here today, and respected audience members: Happy New Year and auspicious greetings to you all.

I am very pleased to see that a conference centered on religion and concerned with issues of humanity values has received such high regard in Taiwan. For this, we must express our gratitude to the Muslim World League (MWL) for its concern and commitment to this important topic, which has enabled us to gather here for meaningful discussion. I would also like to extend sincere appreciation to all the organizations and individuals whose contributions made this conference possible.

The theme of this conference is the dialogue on human common values. From the perspective of religious communities and humanitarian crises, I believe this subject encompasses many facets, including environmental protection, ecology, economics, and social development. Whether caused by human actions or natural disasters, if these crises continue to be neglected, they will ultimately endanger the survival of humanity as a whole.

To resolve such crises, it is first necessary to understand the principles that maintain the sustainability of life and how to abide by the principles of survival. Only by doing so can crises be transformed. “Harmonious coexistence” is precisely such a principle of sustainable survival. For example, the extinction of any species on Earth inevitably causes harm and disruption to other species. The same principle applies to the human world: if any race or ethnic group suffers mistreatment or annihilation, it will generate crises that threaten the sustainability of all.

Therefore, only through the continual advocacy of harmonious coexistence can ecological balance be maintained and humanity crises alleviated. This is also a common objective shared by all religions. Every religion strives to enhance human well-being and hopes to improve society and benefit humanity through its respective teachings. However, in this process, while the central concern should be life itself, we often lose our way by focusing on competition among religions or on their differences rather than cooperating to uphold the shared values of life.

When major international disasters occur, disaster relief organizations do not consider nationality, religious belief, skin color, gender, or similar distinctions when they devote to their works. At such moments, there is only one guiding conviction—to save lives to the greatest extent possible—because the value of life transcends all external or material conditions.

Recognizing the value of life was one of the primary intentions behind my establishment of the Museum of World Religions (MWR). After recognizing this value, the next step is to bring life to fulfillment. This requires cooperation among religions, for all of us share a common existence on this planet; wholeness cannot be achieved if any part is missing.

Furthermore, through my experiences over the years in interfaith dialogue and humanitarian disaster relief, I have come to realize that fulfilling the mission of harmonious coexistence and shared flourishing requires the promotion of mutual respect and tolerance among human beings. Such an endeavor depends fundamentally upon dialogue. Just as the cultural artifacts displayed in the MWR could not have been properly presented without active dialogue and exchange among different faith traditions, only through such engagement can the virtues and sublimity of diverse religions illuminate one another and contribute to the realization of a more wholesome world.

Dialogue enables us to perceive the needs of others and to engage with them according to their perspectives and modes of expression, rather than imposing a self-centered framework upon all phenomena. This constitutes a form of selfless respect and represents one of the guiding principles of the MWR. With such selfless respect, we are able to accept differences among one another, to embrace every community that exists in this world, and to ensure mutual coexistence without causing harm to any group. Ultimately, this leads to cultivating a compassionate attitude toward all sentient beings and living in harmonious coexistence with all people, events, and phenomena on Earth.