About the BMF

The International Forum on Buddhist-Muslim Relations (BMF) is an international interfaith initiative formed in direct response to the urgent need to mitigate rising religious tensions and conflicts, particularly in flashpoint areas such as Southern Thailand and Myanmar (Rakhine State).

The BMF was formally established in 2013, with initial consultative meetings on “Contemporary Issues in Buddhist-Muslim Relations in South and South East Asia” held in Bangkok, Thailand. Its formation was a proactive commitment by concerned leaders to create a sustained platform for constructive dialogue and joint action across the region and elsewhere.

Core Objectives and Mission

The BMF’s mission is to foster peace and understanding by serving as a hub for both intra-religious and inter-religious engagement. Our key objectives include:

  • Platform for Engagement: Serving as a primary platform for education and advocacy initiatives.
  • Conflict Prevention: Enabling rapid reaction, solidarity visits, early warning, and conflict prevention in the event of conflict.
  • Actionable Tools: Developing and providing tools and materials for constructive engagement and strategic common actions.
  • Positive Messaging: Promoting the effective use of media, especially social and alternative media, for positive messaging and amplifying peaceful narratives.

Core Group Members

The BMF draws strength from a diverse network of individuals and organisations across the region. It is driven by the commitment and expertise of a core group of internationally recognised members, including:

The BMF stands as a united front, modelling coexistence and actively working to build resilience against conflict in diverse communities worldwide.

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Contact

The International Forum on Buddhist-Muslim Relations (BMF)

c/o International Movement for a JUST World

JKR, 1258, Jalan Telok Off Jalan Gasing, Selangor Darul Ehsan.

Secretary; KV Soon (Vidyanada)

email: buddhistmuslimforum@gmail.com,

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Background and introduction

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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