Relationship between Religion and Politics in Islam — Page 1
Opening Remarks by the Chairperson of IRIS It is for me a privilege to welcome you on behalf of IRIS and the community here to this meeting. IRIS stands for ‘Interreligieuze Raad Suriname’ or ‘Inter-Religious Council In Suriname’. Welcome to our meeting. You are here for a week and as you have already felt and experienced, you are most welcome here in Suriname, which is called the country of hospitality and laughter. We have read already something about your person, your edu- cation and your formation. Also about your mission: to Suriname and mission to the world. And, as we could understand, your mis- sion is mainly to bring people together. People of several races, various countries and various cultures. And your message is a mes- sage of respect of one another, respectful thinking, acceptance and understanding; to bring justice and peace among people. It is in this context that we invited you this evening to be with us here—with IRIS in this community—to share with you, our views, our insights and our ideas on this topic. IRIS is a group of religious leaders in Suriname and it exists for about two or three years. But up till now, we have only focused on working together, instead of dialogue together. Working together for the well-being