OTTAWA -- Former British prime minister Tony Blair says the fight for religious freedom and tolerance is the "central battle" being waged in the Middle East.
Blair is now the Middle East peace envoy for the so-called Quartet, which was set up a decade ago to negotiate peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
"All over the Middle East, all over the region, I think there is one central battle that is going on," Blair said Wednesday in Ottawa.
"And that is between the open-minded people who want societies that are tolerant and respectful and promote religious freedom, and those who are close-minded and who don't like people who are different, and want to impose a certain view of religion on society -- which is very damaging."
Blair met with Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird and was to attend a conference on religious freedom -- a key pillar in the Harper government's foreign policy.
Blair endorsed Canada as a vital player in the peace process, citing its economic support of the Palestinian Authority as crucial.
Baird recently pledged to extend Canadian aid to the Palestinians, calling it some of the country's best spent development dollars.
Blair is the Quartet's special representatives, a group made up of the United Nations, the European Union, the United States and Russia.
Blair was in Ottawa to attend the inaugural seminar of the Office of Religious Freedom in Foreign Affairs.
Blair's post-political career in Britain has seen him found the Tony Blair Faith Foundation. Blair is a devout Christian who converted to Catholicism from the Anglican church after serving as prime minister.
"This seminar is part of the Office of Religious Freedom's mandate to engage in dialogue with experts and faith community leaders on various topics related to the protection and promotion of freedom of religion," said a Foreign Affairs Department statement.
"It will focus discussion on why religious freedom matters in the current international environment."
Andrew Bennett, Canada's ambassador of religious freedom, will also address the session.
