ICC Note:
An Islamic leader in Bangladesh has promised to protect Christians facing persecution at an interfaith dialogue in Bangladesh. The dialogue, which took place in Khulna, located in southwestern Bangladesh, was put on by the local church to promote religious understanding and tolerance. In recent years, attacks on individual Christians and other religious minorities by Islamic radicals dominated the news in Bangladesh causing many to fear for the future of religious freedom in the Muslim majority country. Will dialogues like this help promote religious tolerance? 
02/21/2017 Bangladesh (Asia News) – “I invite everyone to consult me at all times, if they hear news of persecution against Christians and Hindus. I will go on the site and will stop it.” This is the promise uttered by Alhaj Nazrul Islam Molla, Chairman dell’Ulama League Dakop, in the sub-district of Khulna located in southwestern Bangladesh.
The Islamic leader spoke at a seminar for Interreligious dialogue at St. Michael’s Church, Chalna parish. The event brought together 65 representatives including Christians, Hindus, and Muslims all engaged in the creation of a society of peace and harmony.
The seminar was organized by the Khulna Diocesan Commission for Dialogue and Ecumenism. Opening the meeting the bishop, Msgr. James Romen Boiragi, explained the reasons for such an initiative.
“We want to promote the understanding between members of different religious groups,” he said. “We all need to know each other in depth.” This is because, he stressed, “the lack of mutual understanding brings misunderstanding and conflict between the various confessions.”
According to Msgr. Boiragi, often “political leaders are working only for their own benefit, and not to build peace. If the religious leaders work together, they could achieve peace in the easiest way through discussions and proposals.”
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