Global Counter-Extremism Network

Summit with Dalai Lama and Muslim Leaders

LibForAll Chairman and CEO Holland Taylor helped to organize an historic summit meeting between renowned Tibetan Buddhist and Nobel Peace Prize winner H.H. the XIVth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, and Muslim leaders from over thirty nations.  The summit took place on April 15, 2006 in San Francisco, California – the birthplace of the United Nations.

Described by the press as an "Anti-terror religious meeting," the event was widely covered by the international press, including Al-Jazeera and hundreds of media outlets in the Muslim and non-Muslim world.

 

In the morning, Shi'ite and Sunni Muslim leaders met privately with the Dalai Lama, to discuss ways to help Muslims and non-Muslims alike understand the profoundly spiritual, and compassionate, dimensions of Islam, and to explore the common ground shared by Islam with the world's other faith traditions.  

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

The event brought together Muslim leaders who had never met before, to cooperate in the task of "reclaiming Islam" from those who preach an ideology of hatred, or who condemn it outright as a perverse and violent religion.

Muslim leaders received "katas," or ceremonial scarves, blessed by the Dalai Lama, and in turn offered thanks and gifts to the Buddhist leader for helping moderate Muslims join together to regain control of their faith from those who seek to hijack it.

 

 
During the afternoon session, which was open to 500 invitees, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, Jewish and Native American religious leaders joined in calling for the world to unite in support of a pluralistic and tolerant understanding of Islam, based on the values of love, compassion and respect for the sanctity of human life.

LibForAll CEO Holland Taylor (speaking, right) opened the afternoon session's discussion of Islam, by conveying the support of LibForAll co-founder Kyai Haji Abdurrahman Wahid – long-time head of the world's largest Muslim organization.  Mr. Taylor also introduced Waleed El-Ansary, who brought greetings and words of support from his father-in-law, Egyptian Grand Mufti Shaykh 'Ali Juma'a.

President Wahid and Shaykh Juma'a are two of the world's most prominent Sunni Muslim clerics.

 

  

 

 

 
Speakers at the afternoon session included Maryam Ishaq al-Khalifa Sharief (left) – great-granddaughter of the 19th century Sudanese nationalist leader known as Al-Mahdi.  Maryam, who along with her family is revered by millions of traditional Sudanese Muslims, spoke of the vital role that a 'transcendent spirituality' must play in overcoming the ideology of religious extremism and hatred.

 

 

 

Event organizers included Lama Tenzin Dhonden (right), the Dalai Lama's Personal Emissary for Peace, and Steven Reuther (left), one of Hollywood's top producers, with over 40 films to his credit including Pretty Woman, Dirty Dancing, Face/Off, Under Siege, The Client and Pay It Forward.

 

 

 

 

 

LibForAll CEO Holland Taylor, left, with the Dalai Lama.

 

 

Holland Taylor's introductory remarks for the summit's afternoon session:

"Today's meeting of His Holiness the Dalai Lama with Muslim leaders from America and the world represents a significant step towards resolving a crisis of misunderstanding that threatens all of humanity.  On the one hand, some Muslims believe that Islam requires them to hate or kill those whose views are different from their own.  And many non-Muslims mistakenly assume that this ideology of hatred is the "true" Islam.

"The good news is that there is a smiling face of Islam, represented not only at this conference, but among the vast majority of peace-loving Muslims throughout the world.  I come to you today with words of greeting and support from Kyai Haji Abdurrahman Wahid, the former president of Indonesia and long-time leader of the largest Muslim organization in the world, the Nahdlatul Ulama, which has forty million members.  Similarly, I have been asked to introduce Waleed El-Ansary, son-in-law of Shaykh Ali Gomaa', the Grand Mufti of Egypt, who also conveys his respect and greetings to this summit of religious leaders.

"President Wahid and Shaykh Gomaa' are two of the world's most influential Muslim clerics.  It is thus extremely significant that they are with us today, in heart and spirit – joining the other Muslim leaders who have gathered with the Dalai Lama to promote a pluralistic and tolerant understanding of Islam, at peace with itself and the modern world."