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                                  VIS-Press releases   
      
   CONCLUSIONS OF INTER-RELIGIOUS MEETING IN TEHRAN   
      
   VATICAN CITY, 16 NOV 2010 (VIS) - The Centre for Inter-Religious Dialogue of   
   the Islamic Culture and Relations Organisation (Tehran, Iran) and the   
   Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue held their seventh colloquium   
   in Tehran from 9 to 11 November under the joint presidency of Mohammad Baqer   
   Khorramshad, president of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organisation, and   
   of Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-   
   religious Dialogue.   
      
   At the end of the meeting the participants (seven in the delegation led by   
   Mohammad Baqer Khorramshad and six in the delegation led by Cardinal Tauran),   
   agreed upon the following:   
      
   (1) Believers and religious communities, based on their faith in God, have a   
   specific role to play in society, on an equal footing with other citizens.   
      
   (2) Religion has an inherent social dimension that the State has the obligation   
   to respect; therefore, also in the interest of society, it cannot be confined   
   to private sphere.   
      
   (3) Believers are called to co-operate in the search for common good, on the   
   basis of a sound relation between faith and reason.   
      
   (4) It is necessary for Christians and Muslims as well as all believers and   
   persons of good will, to co-operate in answering modern challenges, promoting   
   moral values, justice and peace and protecting the family, environment and   
   natural resources.   
      
   (5) Faith, by its very nature, requires freedom. Therefore, religious freedom,   
   as a right inherent to human dignity, must always be respected by individuals,   
   social actors and the State. The cultural and historical background of each   
   society which is not in contradiction with human dignity should be taken into   
   consideration in applying this fundamental principle.   
      
   (6) Education of the young generation should be based on the search for truth,   
   spiritual values and promotion of knowledge.   
      
   The participants also emphasised the necessity of continuing on the path of a   
   genuine and fruitful dialogue. The next colloquium will take place in Rome in   
   2012.   
   OP/VIS 20101116 (330)   
      
   SUMMARY   
      
   --- MPost/386 v1.21   
    * Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS =Meridian, MS= bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)