Astana: Mohamed Talat
The 8th Congress of World and Traditional Religious Leaders will begin tomorrow, Tuesday, in the Kazakh capital, Astana. Prominent religious leaders from around the world will participate to discuss ways to establish peace and promote the values of coexistence among peoples. The conference takes on particular importance this year in light of escalating international crises, most notably the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza.
Since its independence, Kazakhstan has presented itself as a land of religious and cultural pluralism. It hosted the first edition of the conference in 2003, and has since become a leading platform for dialogue between East and West. Today, as it hosts the eighth edition, it affirms its role as a global bridge for rapprochement and understanding.
The conference is a platform of hope and a humanitarian message to the world that all religions stand for life, not death, and for justice, not injustice. From Astana, the voice rises: Stop the wars… Let humanity live in peace.
The conference stresses the need to stop the killing of innocent people in Gaza and calls on the international community to assume its responsibilities to protect civilians, urgently deliver humanitarian aid, and pursue a just political solution. Participants are expected to raise a unified voice against wars targeting children, women, and the elderly.
Participating in the conference are Dr. Osama Al-Azhari, Minister of Endowments, senior scholars from Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Pope, representatives of the Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant churches, senior rabbis of the Jewish community, spiritual leaders from Buddhism, Hinduism, and Taoism, and representatives of the United Nations, UNESCO, and international humanitarian organizations.
The conference aims to condemn violence and terrorism, reject the exploitation of religion to justify killing, call for human solidarity, protect vulnerable groups, promote a culture of dialogue and tolerance for future generations, and support humanitarian initiatives to assist victims of conflicts and wars.
Expected Results
The conference is expected to issue the Astana Declaration 2025, which affirms the unity of the global religious stance against wars and violence and calls on governments to adhere to humanitarian values. Initiatives are also expected to be launched to support refugees and promote a culture of coexistence in educational curricula and media.
