The place of religion in the lives of young people in light of contemporary changes a virtual seminar organized by the DICID

10 Nov The place of religion in the lives of young people in light of contemporary changes a virtual seminar organized by the DICID

Interest in youth issues has gained much attention recently, including the issue of ‘The Place of Religion in the Lives of Youth in Light of Contemporary Changes’, to create platforms to facilitate discussion and dialogue. As such, the title of the next symposium by the Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue in cooperation with Qatar University’s Ibn Khaldun Center for Humanities and Social Sciences. The symposium brought together diverse thinkers and researchers in the field of religions from the State of Qatar and abroad.

The symposium aims to highlight the characteristics of the present era and the need to recognize contemporary challenges, as well as to discuss the value and social protection that religion provides for young people to give meaning to their existence and preserve humanity, in order to avoid the materialistic reductionism that contemporary civilization has brought.

In a statement byHis Excellency Dr. Ibrahim Al-Naimi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue, on the reason for choosing the topic for the symposium, he said: “This symposium comes to re-evaluate the status and role of religion in the lives of young people, , and they are the age group that represents a very important part in today’s world, as the driving force usually underestimated as peacemakers and bridges of communication between civilizations and cultures in light of globalization that has done away with all borders. Especially with social media that transforms every idea (good or bad) into a daily culture that is published, advocated, influenced and influenced by it”. He added: “this symposium opens a channel to listen to the youth themselves and discuss what religion has become for them and their peers, and how they see the role of religion in solving their problems and issues, especially in this changing world. It also represents an opportunity for specialized scholars to speak to young people to demonstrate the position of religion and the moral and cognitive role it can play in their lives.”He also stressed the importance of the symposium to implant the concept of a culture of dialogue and acceptance of the other among the youth, which today has become a paramount necessity. He also said, “It is very important for scholars and thinkers to realize that today’s youth tends to be objective in proposition rather than accepting indoctrination and authoritarian positions. They tend to analyze and seek clarification rather than advice and guidance.”

For his part, Dr. Youssef Al-Siddiqi, member of the Board of Directors of the Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue, said in a similar statement that this symposium comes in light of the changes that the world is experiencing, which is a pressing force on young people. He said: “We need to heed to such symposiums and to the views and opinions on the ways, means and methodologies of protecting young people from responding to these pressure forces especially outside academic discussions.”
He stressed the importance of youth participation in all local and international events and activities of the center, noting that the center had previously held a special conference for young people as part of a series of conferences for interfaith dialogue, the topic of which was ‘The Role of Youth in Promoting the Values of Dialogue’.He also pointed out that the center periodically organized a number of foreign trips to countries around the world for high school students and university students in Qatar with the aim of learning about other cultures and civilizations, in addition to also hosting students and researchers from universities around the world, and organizing courses and workshops for school and university students, and many other such youth gatherings.

The speakers for the first session dealt with the ‘Characteristics of Contemporary Times and the Need for the Renewal of Knowledge’, as they discussed topics such as the: cognitive foundations and traditional educational systems – between fixed religious principles and changing realities, the impact of social media and new media, globalization and guiding the intellectual and moral path of the youth.

In the second session, the speakers discussed ‘The Role of Religion in Providing Values and Social Protection for Young People’ which focused on the youth and religious and moral constants, the impact of political, social and economic changes, religious discourse for youth – does it really need to change?, and the aims and objectives of youth and religion – a motivation or a hindrance?

The speakers pointed out the most prominent cultural, political and communication challenges that constitute pressure forces on young people, stressing the urgent need for a spiritual fence that protects them from stormy fluctuations, and guides them to ways of stability, peace and civilized interaction in light of the moral and spiritual values that religions have urged in their pure sources.

In the context of his analysis of our present climate, Dr. Youssef Al-Siddiqi, a board member of the Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue, pointed out during the symposium what the reality witnessed at the beginning of the third millennium of deep and radical transformations that shaped important events and changes in the fields of contemporary life, and political, social, cultural, communication and technologicaladvances, and said that all of these transformations constitute a pressing force on the lives of young people, their orientations and ideas, that are then reflected in the material, intellectual, social, political and moral movement of society.

As a result of the massive knowledge explosion with the development of the media and the revolution in communication systems that bridges at high speeds ideas, cultures, civilizations, opinions, philosophies and ideologies from different environments and contexts. He also referred to the results of these advancements, the communications and information revolution, and globalization on ways of life, thinking and values, which have led to shifts and changes at the level of social, cultural and political awareness, making the concept of protecting communities and youth a priority that outweighs in some aspects the political and economic concern in today’s world. Warning that the absence of doctrinal, psychological and intellectual security for youth and society undermines the foundations of psychological, spiritual, and social stability for societies and countries, and added that psychological and spiritual security and stability in human society is an urgent requirement for thinkers, scholars, researchers and educators, stressing that the security of young people and their religious understanding in light of these changes is an urgent matter for the stability of intellectual security; Because if one possesses sound thought and religion, only then will he be able to enjoy the comprehensive security and stability that rational humanity seeks for the good and stability of society that is ultimately dependent on religious and educational institutions, scholars, thinkers and political systems.

In turn, Dr. Eltigani Abdelqadir Rahma from the Ibn Khaldun Center for Humanities and Social Sciences pointed out that the most important change in the current era is the information revolution and the digital flood and the consequent fall of geographical, political, cultural, ideological and intellectual barriers to turn the world into a virtual society which values popular ideologies and clash of civilization trends that create deep challenges that contemporary generations, especially the youth group face today, and he said: “The focus on the youth when talking about these challenges comes from the distinction of this group with some anxiety, confusion, rebellion and ambition, and the collective desire for change, transformation, experiment, testing and adventure, which makes them the most affected by the current transformations made by technology. And about the element of religion and its place among young people, which the symposium discusses Dr. Hamid explained that this issue is one of the dilemmas facing young people as a result of neglect of the fixed and context-dependent principles in religious traditions, and not realizing the link between “reality” and for example. He added: “..stressing the need for an epistemological effort to link societies and younger generations and enlighten them with these concepts to revive the values of religion and enhance its position in contemporary societies.”

In this context, Dr. Badrane Benlahcene, researcher at the Ibn Khaldun Center, stressed that young people need spiritual sources and pure values in light of an intertwined reality governed by globalization and steeped in challenges imposed by contemporary technologies with all their ideas, visions and knowledge, some of which cause confusion among young people.

For her part, Dr. Mariam Ait Ahmed, head of the Inmaa Center for Future Studies and Research, and professor of higher education and religious sciences at Ibn Tofail University in Morocco, warned of the consequences of this massive knowledge explosion, which generated waves of atheism that deny religions and their spiritual values. She called for reviving the duty of ijtihad to enlighten young people and answer their contemporary questions and for effective responses to current scientific and intellectual challenges.

In turn, Dr. Benjamin Idriz, President of the Munich Islamic Forum in Germany, called for the necessity of modernizing Islamic sciences to meet the contemporary challenges of the new generation. He pointed out that Muslim and non-Muslim youth in the West face real dilemmas in contemporary social, cultural and financial issues that require a jurisprudential effort to respond to them. Dr. Mustafa Abu Sway from Al-Quds University – Palestine also urged the necessity of renewing Islamic thought between the fixed foundations of religion and the changing reality.

Dr. Matthew Kaemingk, Director of the Richard John Mouw Institute for Faith and Public Life in the United States of America presented the nature of the challenges facing Christian youth in the West as a result of excessive materialism and disavowal of the spiritual values that guarantee building a healthy person.

On the role of religion in providing value and social protection for young people, Dr. Alistair Davison, Executive Director of the Cordoba Peace Institute, presented mechanisms that he saw as appropriate to enhance the role of young people, including their involvement in promoting peace and social cohesion, presenting the Institute’s experience in African societies at this level, while Dr. Sabrina Lee, Director of The Tawasul Europe Center for Research and Dialogue in Italy has its vision to enhance the role of religion in the lives of young people.

Mr. Taha Ayhan, President of the Islamic Cooperation Forum for Youth in Istanbul, spoke about linking youth with religious values, referring in this context to the Islamic Cooperation Forum for Youth, while Dr. Craig Considine from Rice University in the United States spoke about the need to modernize convenience and seek guidance in the twenty-first century. The symposium ended with an intervention by Ms. Ayan Saeed, CEO of the Voicing Voices Foundation, entitled “Succeeding through Submission”.