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UNE given insight into religious conflict and terrorism

June 21, 2006

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The Centre for Peace Studies at The University of New England has hosted a topical seminar on terrorism, culture, Islam and prejudice. Father Kevin Stewart presented the two-hour seminar before twenty academics, representing a cross-section of the university.

Fr Stewart has spent more than 38 years as a Marist priest and the last 15 years “giving hope to the hopeless” in Cotabato City, the capital of the autonomous region of Muslim Mindenao in the Southern Philippines.

Fr Stewart has sought to promote peace and tolerance in the same area where the Bali bombers were thought to have received their training.

Currently on a 12 month sabbatical at St Patricks, Church Hill in Sydney, Fr Stewart has observed the misconceptions Australians hold concerning Islam and conflict-torn regions where Muslims and Catholics must co-exist.

“My message to people here was to look beyond the alarming headlines, which represent a tiny percentage of the society,” he said.

“I do most of my teaching about peace and decreasing local prejudices with teenagers. Educating the young can be more effective than trying to change the mindset of society or the adult population. For that same reason, I have also tried to talk with as many young people at local
Catholic schools as possible while I tour the New England North-West of NSW,” he said.

“My years working with Muslim and Christian student leaders in a situation of armed conflict have given me a real insight into the prejudices we need to overcome. Here in Australia we need to lead by example. While there is much we can do to help our neighbours, there are still many indigenous issues where stereotyping continues to create tension on a local front,” Fr Stewart said.

Pictured in the above-right photograph is UNE Senior Lect. in Politics and Chair of the Catholic Bishop’s Commission for Justice, Development & Peace in the Armidale Diocese, Tim Battin shaking hands with Father Kevin Stewart.

For more information contact John Kauter (UNE Public Relations): (02) 6773 2779.

Posted by Gary Fry at June 21, 2006 12:16 PM