About the BMF

The Buddhist Muslim Forum (BMF) is an international interfaith initiative formed in response to growing concerns about religious tensions and conflicts in South, Southeast Asia, and elsewhere. Efforts that led to the formation began during a consultative meeting on “Contemporary Issues in Buddhist- Muslim Relations in South and South East Asia” held on 16 June 2013 in Bangkok, Thailand, with a follow up meeting in August, 2013.

The objectives of the BMF shall be followed as:

  • To serve as a platform for intra-religious and inter- religious initiatives in education & advocacy;
  • To enable rapid reaction/ solidarity visits/ early warning/ conflict prevention in the event of conflict;
  • To develop and provide tools and materials for constructive engagement and strategic common actions, and;
  • To develop the effective use of media for positive messaging, particularly via the social & alternative media 

The International Forum on Buddhist Muslim (BMF) consists of individuals and organizations from across the region and driven by the following core group members:

  1. International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB) https://www.inebnetwork.org/about-ineb/
  2. International Movement of a Just World (JUST) https://just-international.org/
  3. Peringatan Muhammadiyah https://muhammadiyah.or.id/2021/02/peringatan-milad-nabi-dan-milad-persyarikatan/
  4. Religion for Peace (RfP) https://www.rfp.org/
  5. The Network of Religious and Traditional Peacemakers https://www.peacemakersnetwork.org/

Contact information:

Secretary; KV Soon (Vidyanada) buddhistmuslimforum@gmail.com

International Movement for a JUST World, JUST address justorg@just-international.org

Background and introduction

The forum brings together Buddhist and Muslim religious leaders, scholars, and peacebuilders from across the region. It was created to address the challenges of extremism, religious discrimination, and the misuse of religion for political or ideological purposes. The BMF is rooted in the principles of compassion, justice, and peaceful coexistence, and is ocmmitted to fostering mutual understanding between the two faith communities.

The buddhist international forum is a platform dedicated to fostering mutual understanding, respect, and collaboration between Buddhist and Muslim communities. In a world that is often marked by religious and cultural divides, this forum serves as an essential of interfaith harmony, encouraging dialogue that transcends historical tensions and contemporary misunderstandings. Rooted in the shared values of compassion, peace, and justice found in both Buddhism and Islam, the forum brings together scholars, spiritual leaders, and community activists, and everyday individuals from both traditions. Its mission is to create safe spaces for honest conversations, promote educational exchanges, and build bridges across cultural and religious boundaries.

On 16th June 2013, the International Network of Engagement Buddhists (INEB), the International Movement for a Just World (JUST) and Religions for Peace (RfP) organized a consultative meeting on “Contemporary Issues in Buddhist- Muslim Relations in South and South East Asia” at Rissho Kosei- Kai, Bangkok Dharma Centre, Bangkok, Thailand in partnership with American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) and Rissho Kosei- kai, Bangkok Dharma.

The Joint Statement on commitment of action can be found here.

25 participants comprising Buddhist and Muslim religious leaders from South and South East Asian countries recognized the following challenges facing the two communities in the region as: 

  • Rise of extremism, hate speeches, hate campaigns and instigation leading to religious discrimination and violence;
  • Prejudice, fear and hatred caused by ignorance, misperceptions, stereotypes, negative impact of traditional and social media, simplification and generalization of ethnic issues  and communal pressures;
  • Misuse of religion by certain religious, political and other interest groups and individuals;
  • Socio economic dimensions of conflict; and
  • Spillover effects across the region.

The participants also endorsed the Dusit Declaration of 28th June 2006 and committed themselves to implementing its shared action plan across the region.
 The participants also pledged to engage in multi- stakeholder partnership with governments, inter-governmental bodies such as the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the United Nations.
Objectives
In follow-up from the Buddhist-Muslim Consultative Meeting on June 16, 2013, a Common Action Working Committee was formed and had its meeting on August 21-22, 2013 in Galle, Sri Lanka. It concluded with the proposal to form a permanent body named, “International Forum on Buddhist-Muslim Relations” (BMF)

What we do

The BMF serves as a permanent platform for interfaith collaboration and proactive engagement. Its key activties and objectives include:

  1. Education and Advocacy
  • Promoting intra- and inter-religious dialogue
  • Raising awareness about religious harmony and social justice
  • Providing educational resources to counter stereotypes and misinformation

2. Conflict Prevention and Rapid Response

  • Facilitating early warning systems and solidarity visits during times of crisis.
  • Supporting peacebuilding efforts in conflict-prone areas.

3. Strategic Tools and Common Action

  • Developing practical tools and materials for constructive engagement
  • Coordinating strategic actions across communities and countries

4. Positive Media Engagement

  • Utilizing social and alternative media to spread messages of peace and tolerance
  • Countering hate speech and extremist narratives through responsible

5. Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships

  • Collaborating with governments, intergovernmental bodies (ASEAN, SAARC, OIC), and the United Nations
  • Building alliances to support regional peace and interfaith cooperation