'A Common Word Between Us and You': Motives and Applications

Previously, the call to dialogue between religions could not find its place between nations. Such a call—if one were ever delivered—was received with disdain and dismissed due to the then prevalent isolation of communities in the world that caused a deterrent to communication, and man’s inability to recognize the importance of this dialogue despite the presence of a clear religious perspective promoting it. But now such dialogue appears to be a necessity in the wake of extremists from both the East and the West who have succeeded in swaying the future course of humanity toward the theory of a clash of civilizations while dividing the world into warring factions. Dialogue has become an intellectual and pragmatic necessity in order to put an end to humanity’s slip into barbarism, especially now that we live as neighbors in a world where barriers have been lifted through communication, transportation, and new technologies. Everyone has become interconnected, and ideas are flowing from everywhere. We live in a world that is referred to as a “small village” or a “global village” in which any action in any place now has a global impact, whether positive or negative. For this reason, there remains no possibility for self-isolation or segregation from others. There is no choice but to live together in the world. So what is to be done? We must engage in dialogue, establishing its foundations as God Most High intended.