Released May 29, 1998
The Wisdom Fund, P. O. Box 2723, Arlington, VA 22202
Website: http://www.twf.org -- Press Contact: Enver Masud

Al-Azhar, Vatican Reach Landmark Agreement

The Roman Catholic Church has reached a landmark agreement on promoting a dialogue between Christians and Muslims.

"After four years of negotiation," reports BBC, "the first joint Islamic-Christian committee in history has been established."

The agreement was reached between Islam's most prestigious scholarly institution, Al-Azhar University and Mosque, and the Vatican's council for inter-religious dialogue, headed by Cardinal Francis Arinze.

Al-Azhar is the leading centre for Islam's Sunni division, which comprises 90% of the world's approximate one billion Muslims.

The joint committee will now work to encourage co-operation between the two religions.

Cardinal Arinze, at a dialogue hosted by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops and Catholic Relief Services, was presented a plaque inscribed with The Truth About Islam by The Wisdom Fund.

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Akbar Ahmed, "A Model Gathering of the Abrahamic Faiths," Religion News Service, March 2, 2005