Qatar inter-faith conference begins

[PsychoDad]

Qatar inter-faith conference begins

Wednesday 29 June 2005, 18:20 Makka Time, 15:20 GMT
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/19589773-298E-4342-8CBF-02BD27FF27B7.htm


The third Inter-faith Dialogue conference has opened in the Qatari capital in the presence of representatives of the three religions, Islam, Christianity and Judaism, Aljazeera reports.

The two-day event is being held in Doha the absence of some Muslim religious figures, who declined to attend due to invitations extended to Israeli Jewish rabbis.
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Three Israeli rabbis who received invitations to the dialogue decided to stay away, however, after being denied their requests to make opening speeches.
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Al-Mannai said eight or nine rabbis from outside Israel were still due to attend the Doha conference, which is being jointly sponsored by the University of Qatar and the Qatari Foreign Ministry.
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There was no immediate word on the plans of Egypt's Coptic patriarch Pope Shenuda III or Egyptian-born Muslim cleric Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, both whom had also announced boycotts.