Campaign for religious dialogue visits Berlin as Europe terror plot foiled

8 October 2010 For immediate release

As intelligence agencies foil a “Mumbai style” terror attack in European cities, a delegation from Iman, the inter-faith dialogue campaign group, held high level talks in Berlin aimed at strengthening relations between religious faiths. Iman’s Chairman, Ribal al Assad, led a delegation to meet senior MPs in the German parliament, calling on political and religious leaders to come together in the face of violent extremism. Commenting on the visit, Mr al Assad said: “No sooner had we commemorated the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, we learnt of a terrifying new plot to bring violence to our European cities. This frightening episode reminds us all of the need for the sensible mainstream of religious faiths to work together in combating the unacceptable and destructive forces of extremism.” The delegation met with a number of senior German figures who welcomed Iman’s efforts to challenge extremism and bring about positive change. The Iman delegates met with: - FDP MP Dr. Rainer Stinner, spokesman on foreign affairs for the FDP parliamentary party and a Member of the German Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee. He has a special interest in the Middle East. - Representatives of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) to the Federal Republic of Germany and the European Union, Dr H.C. Volker Faigle and Pralat Dr. Bernhard Felmberg. - Secretary General of the German-Arab Association, Mr Harald Moritz. - Senior CDU MP Ute Granold, Chairwoman of the CDU / CSU Group on the German Parliament's Committee for Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid. She has a special interest in the protection of religious freedoms for minorities around the world. - Senior Left Party (Die Linke) MP Dr. Lukrezia Jochimsen, spokeswoman for the Left Party on Cultural policy. She is a Member of the German Parliament's Culture and Media Committee and the Subcommittee on Foreign Cultural Policy - CDU MP Frank Heinrich, a Member of the German Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee. He is a former pastor and therefore has a special interest in inter-religious dialogue. Iman also me with the Director of the Institute of Cultural Diplomacy (ICD), Mark C. Donfried, at the ICD's headquarters in Berlin, where the Berlin International Human Rights Congress was taking place. They discussed the need to promote greater dialogue between the Arab world and Europe to help strengthen international understanding and co-existence. The delegation also had the honour of holding discussions with distinguished guests attending the Congress including H.E. Yasar Yakis MP, Former Foreign Minister of Turkey, and H.E. Carlos dos Santos, Ambasador of the Republic of Mozambique to Germany. Ribal Al-Assad has been invited to speak at the ICD conference, “A World Without Walls 2010 - "An International Conference on Peacebuilding, Reconciliation and Globalization in an Interdependent World," to be held in November in Berlin. The conference will explore the potential for cultural diplomacy and soft power in building peace and supporting reconciliation in different regions of the world. The conference program will consist of lectures and seminars held by leading figures from international politics, academia, international development, and civil society. Speakers include Lord Anthony Giddens, Professor Emeritus at the London School of Economics, Anatoliy Zlenko, Former Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Senator Alan Ferguson, Deputy President of the Australian Senate, Dr. Alfredo Palacio, Former President of Ecuador, and H.E. Yasar Yakis MP, Former Foreign Minister of Turkey. ENDS For media enquires contact Christian May of Media Intelligence Partners on 07876708262 or 02030088147. Email Christian.may@media-intelligence-partners.com Notes for Editors: Iman is a non-partisan and not for profit organisation, which aims to promote dialogue to strengthen international understanding and co-existence through the exchange of ideas, people, culture and religion. Aims: To promote inter-religious and inter-cultural dialogue To promote intra-religious dialogue To challenge extremism and promote mainstream voices www.iman-worldwide.org About Iman’s Chairman: Ribal Al-Assad is the Founder and Chairman of IMAN. He is extensively involved in promoting dialogue, understanding and relations between the Arab world and the West. Ribal, 35, was born in Syria and has lived in the West since being exiled from his country as a child. He brings fresh ideas and perspectives to promoting dialogue between civilisations and strengthening international understanding. Ribal is a regular speaker on inter-religious and inter-cultural platforms and regularly interacts with religious and cultural leaders, politicians, civil servants, academics, journalists, think tanks, cultural and religious groups all around the world. Ribal has a track record of promoting dialogue and relations between Muslims, Christians and Jews around the globe. Over the last few years he has successfully been involved in helping to tackle inter-religious and intra-religious conflict and violence in Lebanon. One of his notable achievements was to help facilitate a rapprochement between the Alawite and the Sunni Muslims in North Lebanon. Ribal is also Founder and Director of the Organisation for Democracy and Freedom in Syria and the Chairman of the Arab News Network (ANN) satellite television channel, which broadcasts throughout Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa and promotes democracy, freedom and peace in the Middle East.

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