The Fourth Doha Conference on Dialogue between Religions 25th – 27th April

I'm sitting in the business lounge on LHR ready for departure. 2 people from Cambridge are travelling with me Dr Ben Quash (also like Tim Dakin of CMS, he is a Canon theologian at Coventry Cathedral) and Catriona Laing who was recently in Iraq for a year. They are both involved in setting up an interfaith centre in Cambridge - under auspices of David Ford who is speaking on ‘the gospel among many faiths’ at the fulcrum conference ‘gospel in context’ on Friday back in London.

 

I've just seen a list of participants at the conference -135 of them from UK, UAE, Turkey, Tunisia, Switzerland, Saudia Arabia, Russia, Palestine, Morocco, Malaysia, Libya Lebanon, Kuwait, Jordan, Japan, Italy, Israel, Iran, Indonesia, India, Germany, France, Egypt, Denmark, Croatia, Bahrain, Algeria, Ukraine, USA. Mainly Muslim and at least 25-30 Christians and about 15 Jews
If you want to see more look  the conference website

They have been down as an archbishop, but don't worry there are 8 others ! I think maybe that is a little confusion around designating Rev (but maybe Rowan should watch his back with all these pretenders around!)

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I’m now in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Doha which is airconditioned luxury on the edge of what appears to be a dusty, hazy building-site known as Doha.

About 30 of the delegates are here; the rest are in the ‘Four Seasons’, where the conference is being held.
I have just seen the programme and learned that it starts this evening, not this morning as I had originally been informed. I’ve also just learned of the website with all the details on it – including the previous 3 conference - Archbishop Rowan Williams really was at the Building Bridges Conference in April, 2003   You can read his speach 

The programme seems modelled on a scientific symposium with an introductory session tonight, hosted by H.E. Ahmed Bin Abdulla Al-Mahmoud, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs followed by official dinner. Then 6 sessions over the following day and a half. These cover:

1. Religion and Globalization; Religion and Enhancement of Moral Values;
Values and interest are the base of relations between ‘Ibrahimc Faiths’ (sic)
2. Freedom of Expression and Religious ‘Sacramentals’; Religion Women and Family.
3. Religious Pluralism and respecting the other; peacemaking and Religious Education
4. Religions and Environmental Protection
5. Religions and Civil Rights
6. Religions and Contemporary Scientific Developments

Some interesting typos in the draft programme:
Sir Iqbal Sacrane British Moslems Council and Lord Hilton of House of Lords are here. (no typos there, just names I recognise)
Metropolitan George Saliba Bishop of Orthodox, Surrealism of Mount Lebanon; (maybe a ‘school of painting’ should be Syrian! )
Dr Marwan A’zar Secretary of Pontiff Theological College Holly Spirit University Lebanon (sounds a bit prickly)
Prof Jacob Pender expert of Religions in MIDEST (between highest and lowest?)
Rabbii Krantz Douglas – Religious Man, USA (maybe they only have one religious man in the States)Prof Zagluol Al Najjar Islamic Thinker, Egypt (ditto Egypt)
Prof Jospeh Borraad Dean of College of Theology and Call (a high calling)
Bishop John Broadhurst is down as Bishop of Full Am (reminds me of Narnia

 and the ‘Land of War Drobe’)

But now I have to go. They still think I’m an Archbishop and I have just had a hand delivered letter – from the ‘Permanent Committee for Organising Conferences’ (sounds like an idea of hell to me) - with the seating plan for tonight and they’ve put me on the main stage ! Ooops ! Now where did I put my robes and purple shirt !

from your own correspondent 
25 April 06