CWNews.com - Setting a new precedent at the Vatican, two Muslim leaders addressed the Synod of Bishops on October 14.

Representing the two main strands of Islam, the Sunni scholar Mohammad al Sammak of Lebanon and the Iranian Shi’ite Sayyed Mohaghegh Ahmadabadi spoke in favor of religious freedom, with both Muslim leaders claiming that the Qu’ran affirms the rights of non-Muslims to practice their faith. They also agreed that religious beliefs should not be used as a pretext for political violence.

Tolerance is even more necessary today, when people of different faiths and cultures live together, Ahmadabadi argued. He said that it is important to distinguish between religious conflicts and political rivalries between people of different faiths.

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