What is the Canadian Interfaith Dialogue ?

The Canadian Intercultural Dialogue Centre (C.I.D.C) grew out of the need to address the question, "How can citizens of the world live in peace and harmony?" From this question a conversation took root and began to grow. The founding members of the C.I.D.C knew from personal experience that a discussion on religion and spirituality did not have to digress into confusion, fighting, and anarchy. On the contrary the founding members understood that peace could be achieved by sharing different perspectives by listening to each other from the space of love, respect, tolerance, mercy, and compassion.

Mission of the C.I.D.C
The Canadian Interfaith Dialogue Centre is a non-profit organization whose primary goal is to help bring together the communities in order to promote compassion, cooperation, partnership and community service through interfaith dialog and conversation. The C.I.D.C is dedicated to encouraging the study of the global communities' spiritual traditions from the vantage point of respect, accuracy, and appreciation.

Vision of C.I.D.C
In its efforts to promote fully expressed dialog within the global community and to maintain its objectivity, the C.I.D.C does not accept favors nor does it promote any political or government agency be it foreign or domestic. The C.I.D.C has made a commitment to maintain its stance for compassion and respect with regard to free expression of spirituality throughout communities.

Aims of the C.I.D.C
The C.I.D.C has taken a stand that peace on the planet can be achieved within the foreseeable future. The vision of the Canadian Intercultural Dialogue Centre is to help unite communities in order that the spirituality of all individuals be heard in a space that is free of dogmatism, criticism, oppression, and fear.

Education and C.I.D.C
An intrinsic aspect of the C.I.D.C is to promote the study of world religions and spiritual faiths in order to gain wisdom and knowledge so that people will have a renewed sense of gratitude, and respect for the spiritual beliefs they hold closest to their hearts. By being in constant communication with other people who have different traditions from their own, we each have the opportunity to refine and appreciate our own beliefs and traditions.

Honorary President

CIDC's honorary president Mr. M. Fethullah Gulen is a world renowned Muslim scholar and leader whose message of love, tolerance, and peaceable coexistence inspires CIDC in contributing something meaningful - albeit small - to this great message.

Fethullah Gülen (born 27 April 1941) is an Islamic scholar, writer, and leader of the Gülen's movement. He is the author of over 60 books. Gülen has been the subject of several academic studies. A recent conference is held at House of Lords, by sponsorship of London School of Economics, and University of London in England to study Mr. Gulen and his movement. Gülen's published works in the 1990s advocated dialogue among communities and faiths, tolerance, and acceptance of others.

He personally met with religious leaders, including Pope John Paul II, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomeos, Israeli Sephardic Head Rabbi Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron, Chief Rabbi David Aseo, the Armenian Patriarch and the New York Cardinal John O'Connor. Under his article "Dialogue is a must," he describes how to reach world peace and interfaith dialogue: Interfaith dialogue is a must today, and the first step in establishing it is forgetting the past, ignoring polemical arguments, and giving precedence to common points, which far outnumber polemical ones.

Gülen claims the modern world is plagued by individuals' lack of faith, and in particular, the failure adopt scientific methods while preserving moral values and belief in God. Gülen argues that faith can be scientifically proven, and science benefits from or requires a moral foundation from religion. He has guided his supporters to open about 500 educational institutions in more than 90 countries in Eurasia, Africa and North America.

Some of his books are available in English, German, Russian, Albanian, Japanese, Indonesian, Korean and Spanish. Bibliography in English: Pearls of Wisdom, Emerald Hills of the Heart, Prophet Muhammed as Commander, Questions and Answers, Essentials of the Islamic Faith, The Infinite Light vol 1–2, Towards the Lost Paradise, Truth Through Colors, Muhammad: The Messenger of God, Questions and Answers about Faith, Towarda Global Civilization of Love and Tolerance, Key Concepts in the Practice of Sufism (3 vols),The Statues of Our Souls.