Mater Dei Institute of Education, Dublin
A College of Dublin City University
‘A Common Word’ and the future of Muslim-Christian dialogue:
a Conference.
Dublin, December 6th and 7th 2013
The Common Word
The Common Word initiative refers to an open letter titled A Common Word between Us and
You (taking its title from the Koran 42:13) launched on 13 October 2007. It came from Muslim religious
leaders to the Christian churches and has become a leading initiative in interfaith dialogue. The letter
was signed by 138 prominent Muslim scholars representing all significant schools of thought in Islam,
through the initiative started by Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad of the Royal Hashemite Kingdom of
Jordan. It comes as an effort to recognize common ground between Christianity and Islam on the basis
of the foundational principles of 'love of God and love of neighbour'. It invites Christians to join hands
with Muslims to promote world peace and harmony in the name of God. Much has been accomplished
since the document's launch. Its official website (found here http://www.acommonword.com/) now
includes a roll-call of the leading Christian figures of different denominations including Pope Emeritus
Benedict XVI, the Russian Orthodox Patriarch and the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan
Williams, among others.
The MDI Conference
The Common Word is a highly significant initiative in a globalized world. It has given rise to several
international conferences. Its present significance has grown in the light of the current on-going unrest
in the Arab world, especially in Syria and Egypt. The Dublin Conference is sponsored by the Mater Dei
Educational and Research Trust. It will bring together scholars who have already been involved in
Muslim-Christian and Muslim-Jewish relations, most notably Tim Winter (Sheikh Abdul Hakim Murad)
from Cambridge, Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald, and Rabbi Prof. Reuven Firestone, in addition to nine
other established scholars who will collectively shed light upon the on-going development of the
Common Word Initiative. The purpose of the 2013 Dublin gathering is to reach out simultaneously to
leading scholars in the field as well as to new scholars who have not yet been involved to reflect
critically on the significance of the Common Word for Muslim-Christian relations in general, for the
common good and for cohesion in contemporary Irish, European and Muslim societies.