Karen Hughes Hosts Screening of "Three Faiths, One God"

April 26, 2006

Source: USINFO.STATE.GOV

http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2006&m=April&x=20060426164158jmnamdeirf0.986294&t=livefeeds/wf-latest.html

On April 26, 2006 USINFO.STATE.GOV reported, "U.S. Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Karen Hughes, hosting a screening of excerpts from the new documentary film Three Faiths, One God: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, said religion at times has been 'misused as a source of division, even as an instrument of oppression or attempted justification for terrible crimes. Today we confront a violent extremist ideology that seeks to misuse religion to divide people.' After the April 26 screening, Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Barry F. Lowenkron conducted a panel discussion with the film's producers and a panel of four religious figures. The film seeks to overcome ideology by illustrating the similarities among the three Abrahamic faiths, and by profiling members of each faith who dedicate their effort to facilitative understanding and respect... [Akbar Ahmed, a former Pakistani ambassador to the United Kingdom who currently is a professor of international relations at American University in Washington] reminded the audience that the three Abrahamic faiths-- Christianity, Islam and Judaism – are practiced by only about one-half of the world’s population... The event was the second in a series of interfaith dialogues at the State Department sponsored by Hughes. Designed to increase the knowledge and understanding by department employees, Hughes' initiative aims also to establish a model for similar efforts by employers and communities throughout the United States."