Tony Blair last night called for religious faith to be rescued from extremism and put at the centre of solving the world’s problems.
The former prime minister said that in an increasingly globalised world, the role of faith is especially important.
Religion could “awaken the world’s conscience” and help to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to eradicate poverty and hunger, he said.
In an address on faith and globalisation at Westminster Cathedral, Mr Blair warned against the “extremist and exclusionary tendency in religion today”.
He said: “In the last 10 years we have also been reminded sharply, in acts of terror committed in the name of faith, that we ignore the power of religion at our peril.”
Mr Blair, who converted to Catholicism after leaving Downing Street last year, said: “Religious faith . . . is most obviously associated with extremism in the name of Islam through the activities of al Qaida and others.
“Even if by far most religious people are not prone to the use of terror, at least not nowadays, there are extremists in virtually every religion.”
He argued that it is not extreme for a person to believe their own religion is the only faith – “most people of faith do that” – but said it should not stop them respecting other religions.
Mr Blair – who said he was not a religious leader and made no claims to moral superiority – is working as an international envoy to the Middle East.
In the first of the Cardinal’s Lectures about faith and life, Mr Blair set out plans for his new Faith Foundation, to be launched later this year.
It will focus on bringing different religions together to tackle the MDGs. The eight goals include eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, providing universal primary education and combating HIV and Aids.
The former prime minister said the Tony Blair Faith Foundation will bring together Christians, Moslems, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists to promote faith as a relevant and positive force for good.
About 1,600 people were present in the cathedral in London to hear the former leader’s address, Mr Blair’s first major speech in the country since leaving office.
Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society, said: “Mr Blair’s call for religion to play a bigger role in world affairs is like trying to douse a fire by showering it with petrol.
“We need far less religion in international negotiations, not more.”