A Delegation of Master’s Students from the College of Islamic Studies at Hamad Bin Khalifa University Visits DICID

23 Oct A Delegation of Master’s Students from the College of Islamic Studies at Hamad Bin Khalifa University Visits DICID

To continue relations and networking with partners, a delegation of students from the College of Islamic Studies at Hamad Bin Khalifa University visited Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue on Wednesday morning, October 12, 2022; they were received by Prof. Ibrahim Saleh Alnaimi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Center, and the staff of the Center. The delegation consisted of Dr. Josef Waleed Meri, Professor at the College of Islamic Studies at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, and (11) Master’s students in the field of interfaith dialogue.

At the beginning of the meeting, Prof. Dr. Alnaimi welcomed the visitors and stressed that DICID pays great attention to the youth sector, especially researchers, and “we are committed to involving them in the various activities of the Center and its annual conferences and seminars, as well as publishing their research results in the international journal published by DICID, called (RELIGIONS).

The visit program included an introduction to the activities of Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue, reaffirmation of the values of tolerance, coexistence, and dialogue in the State of Qatar, and the DICID strategy to make dialogue a pervasive culture in all segments of Qatari society, whether as citizens or residents, regardless of religion, race, and nationality.

Dr. Alnaimi presented the historical background of DICID and its establishment, as DICID is the leading institution in Qatar dealing with interfaith and intercultural dialogue, capacity building in the field of dialogue and spreading a culture of peace. In 2003, AD and the annual conferences held in the following years between the followers of the three monotheistic religions of Islam, Christianity and Judaism were launched under the benevolent leadership of His Highness the Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, may God protect him. Among the followers of the religions for a better understanding of the religious principles and teachings to make them useful for all mankind.

In addition, Prof. Ibrahim mentioned some of the key activities and programs that DICID conducts to achieve its goals, including annual conferences, roundtables for local communities, and training courses for youth, teachers, women, social activists, and others, both in Qatar and abroad. The center also conducts scientific research in collaboration with researchers from leading universities and research centers around the world. To achieve its goals, DICID also promotes publications that contribute to peacebuilding and dialogue, create an environment of acceptance, and shape a balanced and moderate mindset that recognizes pluralism and works for better coexistence, he said. These publications can be found in the peer-reviewed journal “Religions,” DICID’s regular newsletter, translations and selected articles. The delegation was given a tour of the center’s library, which contains books and reference works on dialogue and religions.

In a statement by Dr. Josef Waleed Meri, Head of Delegation and Professor at the College of Islamic Studies at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, he said about the importance of this visit, “Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue, under the conscious leadership of Professor Ibrahim Alnaimi, has become one of the global organizations specializing in interfaith dialogue, and my students and I had the honor to visit the Center and learn about its past and present. The College of Islamic Studies at Hamad Bin Khalifa College looks forward to continuing its collaboration with the Center and providing further opportunities for students in Qatar and abroad to learn and benefit from the Center’s efforts and expertise.

On the other hand, the students expressed that DICID is making great efforts to promote the values of coexistence and dialogue among religions and cultures at the local and international levels, and pointed out that it is necessary for them as graduate students to visit Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue, to learn about the breadth and depth of the various initiatives and projects it undertakes and implements in the field of interfaith dialogue, whether at the academic level or on the ground locally and internationally, and to benefit from this experience in their studies and in their future academic lives.

At the end of the meeting, Prof. Ibrahim Al-Naimi presented DICID souvenirs to the delegation and invited them to participate in the “Global Youth Interfaith and Intercultural Forum – Qatar 2023”. The forum will be organized by DICID in collaboration with ACWAY (A Common Word among Youth) from February 11-14, 2023 and will bring together 75 young people from Qatar and around the world under the theme (Youth and Peacebuilding: from Theory to Practice) to promote coexistence among people of different cultures and religions.