On Sunday, leaders from the three major faith groups came together for the Global Faith Forum in DFW with the intent of breaking down barriers and forming relationships to build a flourishing community.
“It was amazing to see hundreds of people — Jews, Evangelicals, and Muslims — gather together in the same location with the same goal: to become friends and allies even though we have different beliefs,” said Pastor Bob Roberts, co-founder of the Global Faith Forum and co-host of the event.
The event began with a recital of prayers and songs from each faith before Ambassador Rashad Hussain greeted the crowd. On behalf of the Biden administration, Hussain was recently appointed as ambassador for the Office of International Religious Freedom.
“Oftentimes, faith leaders are more effective in doing this work than the government,” said Hussain. “You bring the credibility of knowing your congregations. The most powerful way to build bridges is collaboration between government and civil society.”
Dr. Mohammad Al-Issa, secretary-general of the Muslim World League (MWL), then spoke, sharing the essentials of the Makkah Declaration, a document that supports anti-extremism, religious and cultural diversity, and legislation against hate and violence. The document was created by the MWL in 2019 and has been approved by the Islamic leaders of 139 nations.
“Real progress only happens when actions and courage are combined with unwavering resolve to cultivate lasting friendships and understanding regardless of race, ethnicity, faith, gender, or creed,” said Dr. Mohammad Al-Issa.
He continued, “This agreement represents our values-based approach to educate the next generation of leaders and place an importance on teaching them how to engage in constructive dialogue.”
After Al-Issa, other leaders spoke on the importance of working in unison to solve global issues that extend beyond religion, such as human trafficking and world hunger.
As an example of the work that the faiths would like to do in the community, Christians and Muslims from across DFW packed approximately 10,000 meals for underserved people in the area prior to the event.
“Real progress only happens when actions encourage and are combined with an unwavering resolve for creating a better world for all people, regardless of race, ethnicity, faith, gender, nationality, or creed,” added Al-Issa.