Professor Father Martin McDermott, an Irish catholic priest , attending the two-day International Congress on the role of Shia Muslims in spread of Islamic Sciences held in the holy city of Qom, said he was delighted to attend this conference in Iran because "Shia Muslims have a lot to teach followers of other religions and we can learn a lot from Shias".
Father Martin McDermott said he was particularly impressed when several of the invited speakers at the conference expressed views which were not accepted by the majority of those attending the conference, but they were treated with respect by the audience and no body interrupted them in the middle of their speech. Father McDermott said that was a good sign, and he added: "Clearly, followers of different religions need to talk to one another . This conference is well organized and I have been impressed by the speakers at this conference".
Asked about the role of Shia scholars in spreading Islamic sciences, Father Martin McDermott said his knowledge of Shia Islam was limited by he had studied the works of "Sheikh Mofid", well-known Shia religious scholar, and he also knew something about "Elm-e-Kalaam". He said he agreed with Sheikh Mofid in that man was free to choose and thus he was responsible for his own actions.
Father McDermott went on to thank the organizers of the conference for their excellent work.
