Vatican official speaks on fight against extremism in address to Arab Thinkers Forum
January 19, 2016
The secretary of the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue was the only non-Muslim speaker to address the Arab Thinkers Forum, held in Abu Dhabi this week.
Father Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot spoke about the dangers of extremism, saying that they are “actually among the most dangerous threats to world peace and security.” He argued that extremism is incompatible with genuine religious faith, and indeed that extremism can be the result of “the vacuum of ideals and the loss of identity—including religious identity—which dramatically marks the so-called West.”
The Vatican representative said that religious and political leaders have a responsibility to identify and discourage extremism. All religious believers should be united in the cause of peace, he said. While acknowledging the difficulties of pursuing peace, he added that “we have one great resource: prayer.”
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