Speech of Mahmoud Hamdi Zaqzouq, Minister of Awkafs (Religios Endowments) and Islamic Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt

Dear Mr. President Nursultan Nazarbayev,
Dear guests,
First of all, I would like to express my great pleasure and happiness concerning my participation in this forum.

Also I would like to make a special welcome to the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as to all attendants on behalf of Hosni Mubarak, President of Egypt in regard to opening of this Congress and to wish success.

Our meeting at this forum for the second time, in the course of three years due to the initiative of the Republic of Kazakhstan, is distinctly indicative about consciousness of responsibility, which is laid on the Republic of Kazakhstan, on the one part, and on the shoulders of religious people, on the other, in regard to safety in this world, which is our common world.

The ideal way in this mission, which can be used in this noble mission, is the dialogue based on mutual respect and understanding on two levels: spiritual and civilized. To be exact: the mission of religious leaders in the renewal of balance and establishment of bases of peace in the whole world. Religion, per se, is the call to peace and love between all people.
Sometimes extremist tendencies, which raise religious slogans and destroy all human values, appear.

 This requires from religious leaders to show bright picture of a religion mission and to propagate it among people to set in love and agreement between them.

The highest values which President Nursultan Nazarbayev confirmed in his speech: mutual respect and understanding, respect to relics of other people are important terms for propagating principles of the world - brotherhood, love and tolerance between people. An absolute truth is one. And all religions are connected with this truth in this or that way.

Statement of that or other religion, saying that only it is connected with this religion and only this religion is true, surely may impede the establishment of a dialogue. Therefore, the right way is the search of common features and everything, which is sacred, as His Majesty Mr. President has stated it before, and not search of points of difference. As for us, it is a perfect way for the establishment of an effective dialogue between nations and people.

I would like to express my great gratitude once more to Mr. President of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and to wish this conference be effective. Thank you.