Deep thinkers in dialogue to strengthen faith bonds

Ten religious leaders and scholars will attend an international inter-faith dialogue in Indonesia which seeks to promote co-operation and counter extremism, Foreign Minister Phil Goff said yesterday.

Community and religious leaders from 14 countries in the Asia-Pacific region will meet in Yogyakarta on Monday and Tuesday to consider practical ways of strengthening relations between faiths, he said.

"This meeting will encourage leaders to come together to discuss how they, and we, can promote tolerance, mutual respect and harmony between people of different religion, cultures and ethnic origins.

"We must not allow a minority of extremists to turn religious differences into a clash of civilisations and to hijack religion to make it a rallying call for the intolerant and violent," Mr Goff said.

The New Zealand delegation members are: Canterbury University Islamic studies lecturer Ghazala Anwar; Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres; Labour MP Ashraf Choudhary; Auckland University associate dean of Maori and Pacific development Manuka Henare; Islamic Associations president Javed Kahn; Victoria University religious studies professor Paul Morris; Holy Trinity Cathedral dean Bishop Richard Randerson; the Rev Bob Scott of the Auckland Anglican Church; Rev Sylvia Tongotongo of the Auckland Methodist Church; and Rabbi Michael Weisser of the Auckland Progressive Jewish Congregation.

- NZPA