Correlation between conflict and religion-Linder

Accra, Feb 25, GNA - Mr Peter Linder, German Ambassador to Ghana, on Wednesday launched a book that dealt with the correlation between conflict and religion.

The book is a compilation of proceedings of a conference held in October 2003, on the theme "Conflict: What Has Religion Got To Do With It".

Ambassador Linder said 2,000 years of European and African history had shown that the complex question of whether religion had something to do with conflict was prominent.

He said considering the most recent events, particularly the conflicts in the Balkans, Ireland, Nigeria and Cote d'Ivoire, the issue of religion had emerged.

"Very often in history the complex relations between conflict and religion was not discussed, somehow even tabooed" he said.

The Ambassador noted "this might have been motivated partly by ideological reasons, by extreme positions of some actors but certainly also by the fact that the item is indeed very difficult to address". He said in addition to a fair discussion on religion in relation to conflict required a lot of knowledge, good will and careful respect. Ambassador Linder expressed satisfaction that at the end, participants thoroughly discussed the relation between conflict and religion and further compiled it into a book.

He commended the Goethe Institute, Mr Haruna Attah, Managing Editor of the Accra Daily Mail for the tremendous contribution he put in to make the publication a reality.