United Nations, September
3-4, 2008 – UFMEP
President, Salwa Kader, was a key speaker for the panel discussion on “Peace
and Human Rights” in the UN as part of the 10th Dialogue for the
Buddhist-Muslim Dialogue Series. Other speakers included Ms. Daisy Khan,
Executive Director for the American Society for Muslim Advancement (“ASMA”),
Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani, founder and chairman of the Islamic Supreme
Council of America, Sharon Salzberg, a New
York Times bestselling author and a prominent teacher for Buddhist
meditation practices and Rev. Hogen Bays, Zen-teacher and co-founder of the
Great Vow Zen Monastery. The event was organized by Global Family for Love and
Peace and the Permanent Mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the
United Nations. The aim for the
discussion was to bring the two religious communities together to share
perspectives and commonalities that can help further advance goals of peace and
harmony.
Discussion Topics
” What are some Dimensions of the Buddhist and Muslim and Muslim understanding of peace that can be
contributive to our current global situation? What do women’s perspectives have
to bear on these issues? What are Buddhist and Muslim contributions to the
understanding and active promulgation of Human Rights in the world today?”
“The Buddhist-Muslim
Dialogue series was initiated to foster a new global communication on how
Buddhism and Islam can respond together to the challenges created by the
political, religious, economic and cultural crisis facing the world in the 21st
century. The Dialogue’s goals are to create a partnership between Buddhist and
Muslim communities in order to face these challenges on a peaceful basis of
cooperation and friendship.”