Brussels, Jan 23, IRNA
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso met Agha Khan, the spiritual leader of the Ismailis, in Brussels Tuesday afternoon and discussed Islam-West relations and dialogue of cultures and civilizations.
“We have to do more in Europe to win confidence of Muslim citizens both in the EU and in third countries. We need a climate of mutual respect to identify common interests,” Barroso told reporters after the meeting.
“The EU in particular must reach out and understand what is going on in Islam and we have to able to understand and learn,” he said Barroso said the Agha Khan ‘as the spiritual leader of the Ismaili branch of Shia Islam has worked tirelessly to build bridges among cultures’.
On his part, the Agha Khan said the issue of relations between the Islamic world and the West, issues of Muslim minorities in Europe are issues that need to be addressed ‘thoughtfully and constructively’.
He denied the notion that there is cleavage between the Islamic world and the West saying that the ‘Muslim world is highly pluralistic in its geographic make up, in its ethnic make up and in its interpretation of the faith itself’.
Earlier, Barroso and the Agha Khan signed a joint declaration between the European Union and Agha Khan Development Network on the strengthening of the development cooperation partnership.
“The purpose of the declaration is to set a framework in which our collaboration can grow,” said the Agha Khan.
The network is a Group of institutions working to improve living conditions and opportunities in specific regions of the developing world in Asia and Africa.
Ismailimail 