Why World Muslim Congress Was Selectedas the Fifth Recipient of theNiwano Peace Prize

~ti~mM~ OOtiB~~a .m~z~••) ~. M5 @]~!f~;fDffit ~ r i:!:tW 1 A 7 .b. t&J~ft~ J ("E)7"7}v 7}v

- 7 7 .b. 7 }v-1 A 7 U f;:: W~j ~ ::. C ~ iR:5E3& L- ~ L- t.: 0

ri:!:tW1 A7.b.t&J~f,:J (~ftJi"E)7"7}v) fj:l926~~1Lt)

*. 1A7.b.~i:!:tW~~*c~~~~~.~~*.c~ffi

li~m~~ffl~~~~~~L-.rr.~#~~m~~~~~

ill~~i:!:tW~~~.~~~~~~~L-~~~L-~o

"E)7"7 }v~~;fD~f51~t.:~ f;::I& IJ ff;§.1v -r'~ t.:~~fJ.~1J

iIDfU::d.: '? ~ 1" ~ ~b) • .:c ~ $-r' t r1 A 7.b. ~ffiJC- C*5

*~5~1[:~ r1 A 7 .b.¥J!t~~~Eu r~*. C ~x<H3~ ~~Jl

llJj~'!ilJli}fJ t ~b)th IJ ~ ~ 0

r1 A7.b.~ffiJC-C*5*~5~1(:~fJ.."E)7"7}v~§B"JcL­

~ 1" ~ C ::.:.:, -r'th IJ. t!:f:W$~.b. A I) .b.Fa~~~~. ~m~

fiJlt~. ~~U.ll!m~b>ft:fitf;:J:'?~. 1 A7.b.~~~1*~

~ < ::. c f.::: ~ ~ 7.:£ it' ~. ~ ;:I; L- t.: 0

~~~~HcL~~. 1A7.b.~~f,:~~~~ 1A7

.b.g-i\lOOf,:~t\H~ (OlC) ~~1L. ~ ~ f;::1 A 7 .b.~9H1HJ

(IDB) fJ c"1 A 7 .b.~mOO~~1L~m~ L • .:c~~f51f;::*

~<.~L-~L~o .:cL~1A7.b.i:!:tW~~*~~#~fi

m~(NGO) cL~"E)7"7~~1A7.b.~~f,:~. ~J:V

1A7.b.~ffi~.~~m~~~IJ. 1A7.b.tl~~~~.

~~~~~~~fJm~~L-~~;:I;L~o ;:I;~OO~~~~

llJj~$~~1¥ ·1$~mOO c L ~. /,('I/A 1-TFp~.~. 17

~·17?ti$~~~. ~m~~~~0~ft~~~.~I&

IJ ff;§. Iv -r' ~ ;:I; L t.: 0

::'~~.b.A~.b.·"71/~71-~rr.~~*~~~~

~~m~~ff~fJ~. 1A7.b.~OO~~NGOcL~1A

7 .b.i:!:tW~~*5~1(:~f~!1j~5!U.: L ~ ~;:I; L-t.: o

r1 A7.b.¥J!t~0)~;&~f':::JI,'~. "E)7"7}vfJ.. 1 A7.b.

b)~;fD~*.T&?~ tit' ~ rr L 1,'~:B~~1 A 7.b.tlf,:fib>

10

The Niwano Peace Foundation (President, NikkyoNiwano ; Chairman, Motoyuki Naganuma) has decidedto award the fifth Niwano Peace Prize to the WorldMuslim Congress (Motamar Al-Alam Al-Islami),

Since its establishment in 1926, the World MuslimCongress (Motamar) has strengthened the world-widesolidarity and integration of Islam and, with the aim ofpromoting mutual understanding and friendship withother religions, has worked to build a world communitythat will assure peaceful coexistance accompanied byjustice,

Motamar's activities toward realizing peace extendto many areas, and it has made particularily outstandingcontributions to the unity and solidarity of Islam, thedissemination of Islamic concepts, and dialogue withother religions,

The unity and solidarity 0/ Islam is Motamar'sprimary goal, and the organization has extended everyeffort to create an Islamic community by removing thedistrust and misunderstanding that exists between dif­ferent Muslim groups throughout the world and provid­ing a bridge of good will and understanding amongthem,

Initiatives of Motamar have encouraged holding theIslamic Summit, and founding the Organization of Is­lamic Countries (OlC), It also proposed the establish­ment of various Islamic organizations, such as the IslamDevelopment Bank (IDB), and contributed significantlyto their realization, As a non-governmental organization(NGO) representing the Islamic world, Motamar has

1 1

I) -r-t;t <iJt:Wfi:m1#~, J: I) .BUq§BJ~lWt :>:jZfo~ t t.: '?

'9~H&-\b11fijJ]!0)1~i!fU ~m;z®'Ht-r It~ ~ '9 0

=O)~~§~O)~~O)k~, ~??~li, OO~.~t;t~

OO~.OO, ~J:U~OO~fi~1~~A~J:U~-~~~OO

'9 ~ lE ~ It ~ g:N~ 0)~ liZ. fi:~~ -r It ~ ~ '9 0 ~ t.: 1 ~ ~ A~ J:UA~0A~.~OO'9~.~5~O)k~O)m~~~~~

'9~~ OO~~~ ~~~-, V~~~~AO)~.~J:I),

~ E3 },Jil'i7Y~@:lID ~ -r p ~ Fe:.~t;t/f*O)flt$:~1ZSl ~E!Jj '? 1J~

~~, 1~~A~~Rt~t;t~'?t,A.·OO.·~~~

~;z t.:iJt:WB"Jt~~O):>:jZfO fi:J1Y I) *..Ellv -r'It~ ~ '9 0

12

sent delegations to the Islamic Summit and the IslamicForeign Ministers' Conference, where it has made spe­cific proposals regarding the various problems of Is­lamic society. Furthermore, as a mediatory and arbitrat­ing organization in international and regional disputes,it has worked toward achieving peace in a great numberof situations, foremost among them being the Pales­tinian problem and the Iran-Iraq War.

As an international Islamic NGO, it has also servedto strengthen solidarity in the Muslim world by workingfor the recognition of the just demands of Muslimminorities and conducting other activities.

Through the dissemination of Islamic concepts,Motamar has offered, not only to the Islamic commu­nity but to the world as a whole, a correct understandingof Islam as a religion of peace, and has continued tomake appeals for the role of religion and ethics thatpromote better mutual understanding and peace.

To this end, Motamar disseminates correct informa­tion about Islam and the Quran to the United NationsGeneral Assembly and other United Nations organiza­tions and to the governments of nations throughout theworld, Motamar also publishes a bulletin to provideeducation and insight on Islam and Muslim problems. Bysponsoring international conferences, seminars, andsymposiums, Motamar also strives to clarify the basiccauses of the critical unrest facing humankind todayand, while having Islam as its keynote, it is working forpeace on a global scale, transcending race, nationality orcreed.

In particular, Motamar is drawing attention for itsactivities to encourage the reduction of nuclear arms.These include having been the sole Islamic organizationto address the General Assembly of the 2nd UnitedNations Special Session on Disarmament and, in 1984,holding the first Islamic seminar on nuclear arms reduc­tion, which dealt with the theme "The Nuclear ArmsRace and Arms Reduction-the Islamic Perspective".

Motamar has continued to promote dialogue withother religions for the sake of mutual understandingamong religions in order to achieve peace on earth andhas also continued to appeal for equal treatment for allpeople.

13

¥-Jf;::m 2 @]OOJ-l'j:~¥-JJjU¥tii:f;:: fj:IJi-O) 1 A 7 L>-~OO t

L-l k~ii:~m~L-, 19844f;:: fj::ft'j:~ f;::OOT.Q m 1 @]0)1A7L>-~~T-r:ft'j:~AA$t'j:~-1A7L>-O)mB~J

~ /fflfiT .Q ~ t\ :ft'j:~0) t-: 6<') f;:: ff1lW L- lit ~ .Q ::.. i:: fj: ~H3

O)tHflT.Q t ::.. 0l";O I) * To~§1!:I*'1&O)X1~~J f;::OO L-l::C 7' ? Jvfj:, tt!t.lf;::IjZ;fO ~ ~ t-:

GT~6<')~§1!:I*'1&OOO)ffili~m~m~T.Qi::i::~~, T«l O)AJ< ~IjZ~ f;::JfX I) tEe:) J: ':5 f;:: WT ;twcf7"n~ * To

::c 7' ? Jv fj:, .e, B A!tJi f;::.b I) -}J~ -}J~ -:J lit ~.Q i:!tWi¥Jm~O)

~~~-~0)*'1&~~1)~~<,T«lO)*'1&~ffiM~~

T .Q A J< f;:: rMJ h -:J lit ~.Q t ~ <f6' T.Q i:: i:: ~ f;::, *'1&~ fj:

tilil:f;::IjZ;fO ~ ~ t-: GTt-: 6<') f;::, :t3JiIt~ l;::thbnT.Q jHf-}J:i;O

.Qi::O)~.~~~®*'1&tO)~~i¥J~X1~~.wcL-, T«lO)~~,~~, *'1&OOO)~ffio)i::h~rMJ~~~~L-J:':5

t~nVn~*To

::"h*l·tJ, 196741;::1 A7L>-'1J ~ I) -:;1' 4"I)~-V

lE'1&' 7"0 T A 7' /' Hl§~~ii:~ (7 /'? /') O)/fflfl~L 1982

I;:: fj: r~ I;:: 1=. ~L ~ I;:: fiIW < J t Jl!1! L- t-: 1 A 7 L>- i:: -t- I) A ~

'1&O)*'1&OOX1~~/fflmL-*L-~o ::"h~~~O)ffiJi~mi::

thbn i:: IjZ;foO)t-: 6<') I;::/fflfi ~ h, -f h;fhO)*'1&1~*30A-}J:i

.*I)*L-~o -t-0A~'1&~~~i:!tW'1&ii:thb~ii:~*'1&m

~~, ~gjjL ~~~m~, 1 A 7 L>-miHj:::c7'?Jv-}J:ii:j:!iL,t

~-:Jl*'1&m~~t~~~m~L-*L-~o

*~, ~*'1&OOO)X1~t~m~~~L-,~$m~ IjZffi

{lE~O)t-: 6<') 1;::*'1&B"l1f~~!lI;:: T.Q fl§lA ~EBf*-}J:if~m L-l

1t~.Qi:!tW*'1&~IjZ;fOii:~ (WCRP) I;:: tJ{llt;j\!liB"lI;::OO-9'-L-,

OO~~ • tiliJ:!)1( V «Jvl"::C 7'? Jv-}J' GlEJ:t1~~~:QS I) ::.. u~ t",

OO~~B"l~*'1&ti!J,n$!ljjH;::~n~1tJiti:L-l it' * To::C7'?JvO)::..h*l"O)ti5'h-fj:, i:!tW:I&~O)OO~~1 A7L>­

m.i::L-l1A7L>-llii:~:t30.QthbnO)~~ti:!tW~~~

~~O)E~~m~~~*~L-l~*L-~o

::"':5L-~*4~h~.Q::C7'?~0)••~X1L-~<••~

*T.QtttJ~,.e,.~~.Q*'1&OOO)X1~:t3J:Uthbn~m

~~h, ~<O)i:!tWIjZffi~6<')~TA~~.~~h~::"i::~

~iL' J: I) tJT~ L-l, ::..::.. f;::mS@]J£!:!I!fIjZ;fOn ~n~¥ L- * To

14

Motamar firmly believes that the global problemsconfronting mankind today are the concern not only ofone paticular religion but of people of all religions andtraditions, Being aware that people of religion havemutual responsibility to cooperate in order to bringabout peace on earth, this organizations is makingefforts to create harmonious relationships among allbeliefs, creeds and religions through continuing friendlydialogue with other religions,

Up until now it has sponsored the Joint Meeting ofReligious Leaders of Muslims, Catholics, OrthodoxChristians and Protestants at Amman in 1967 andIslamic-Christian interreligious talks, entitled "LiveTogether, Work Together", in 1982, The latter, whichaimed to promote mutual understanding and coopera­tion between both sides, as well as peace, was attendedby thirty representatives from each. The World Councilof Churches invited religious leaders, ministers andscholars to participate on the Christian side. Motamarled the Islamic representatives, inviting religious leadersand scholars to participate.

Motamar actively contributes to the World Confer­ence on Religion and Peace (WCRP), which is composedof individuals and organizations of different religiousbackgrounds working for the promotion of dialogue andunderstanding between religions and for the settlementof disputes and promotion of peace. Motamar's devotionto international cooperative religious activities is exem­plified by its having official representatives fulfillingexecutive functions, in the WCRP, internationally aswell as regionally.

Up until now, Motamar, as the world's oldest inter­national Islamic organization, has fulfilled an importantrole in creating cooperation within Islamic society andin constructing a world community.

The Niwano Peace Foundation presents Motamarwith the fifth Niwano Peace Prize both in honor of theachievements it has made over a period of many yearsand in the heartfelt hope that in the future it will furtherpromote dialogue and cooperation among religions andthat its work will inspire many more people to devotethemselves to the cause of world peace.

15