Concluding three days of lectures and activities, the second edition of the Dubai International Peace Convention affirmed that Islam is the key to peace much sought after these days.

Altogether 150,000 people of different nationalities and religions attended the 16 lectures delivered by 12 scholars and spiritual gurus during the event.

The world congress, held under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, is aimed to create a climate of intellectual cooperation and share the teachings of Islam in order to guide the world towards peace.

Dr Hamad Al Shaibani, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for World Peace, said the convention has been a wonderful platform for leading thinkers in the Muslim world to come together. ‘They have had a massive impact in raising awareness of our main objective, and we are delighted to have brought together different races and religions under one roof to create an interactive environment that perpetuates our vision of peace.’

‘Brotherhood in Islam’, the ‘status of women in Islam’, ‘Muhammad (PBUH) — the ambassador of peace’, ‘One world... One way... One God’, ‘action plan to achieve world peace’, the ‘role model for peace’, ‘how to build a peaceful family’, ‘the solutions for global crisis’, ‘peace in the light of the Holy Quran’, and ‘Peaceful coexistence... myth or reality’ were some of the issues spotlighted during the convention.

Some of the prominent figures who participated include Dr Zakir Naik, an internationally respected scholar in comparative religions, and Shaikh Yusuf Estes, prominent in the Islamic community in the United States; Shaikh Abdur Raheem Green from the UK; Shaikh Tawfique Chowdhury from Australia; Shaikh Muhammad Alshareef from Canada; Shaikh Hussein Yee from Malaysia; Advocate Mayan Mather from India; Said Rageah from Somalia; Dr Muhammad Salah and Abdul Bary Yahya, both from America.

The convention included a number of popular activities, all unified by their desire to spread the noble notions of peace and identify practical solutions through which humankind can build on this foundation to make peace a reality.

The convention touched on the miracles of the Quran, offering a scientific basis for its teachings and also providing concrete practical applications of these teachings.

Colonel Abdullah Khalifa, coordinator of the Security Committee, said the challenge of having such a huge international conference is to secure the massive crowds who flock to the venue, while also keeping the proceedings moving smoothly and on time. ‘For example, the turnout for one session surpassed 30,000. We had to stay on high alert to guarantee the safety of every single attendee.’

ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com