Prof. Ibrahim Saleh Al-Naimi receives Father Charbel Mhanna OMM, President of the Steering Committee of Christian Churches in the State of Qatar, at DICID

30 May Prof. Ibrahim Saleh Al-Naimi receives Father Charbel Mhanna OMM, President of the Steering Committee of Christian Churches in the State of Qatar, at DICID

His Excellency Prof. Ibrahim Saleh Al-Naimi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue (DICID) Qatar, Father Charbel Mhanna OMM, President of the Steering Committee of Christian Churches in the State of Qatar, accompanied by Mr. Wissam Iskandar, member of the Lebanese Association of the Faces of Dialogue “WUJUH HIWARIYYAH”. Father Charbel is the patriarchal envoy of the Maronites in Qatar, President of the Steering Committee of Christian Churches in Qatar, Chairman of the Committee for the construction of St. Charbel Church in Qatar, and priest of Maronite, French, and Italian communities in Qatar.

Prof. Ibrahim Saleh Al-Naimi opened the meeting by thanking the two visitors for their visit and stated that DICID highly appreciates and pays great attention to such visits as they are a concrete expression of building bridges of communication and trust and pave ways for cooperation between the parties involved in the dialogue of civilizations, cultures, and religions. Dr. Al-Naimi said, “I would like to recall that we have been working for a long time with the Steering Committee of Christian Churches in the State of Qatar, headed by Father Charbel. We are working together to establish the principle of acceptance of the other, because religious diversity is a constructive factor and not a destructive hoe, and we need to make more efforts to open up to the other, overcome the imaginary barrier, promote dialogue, and build society together in accordance with our principles. One of the programs we organize is the roundtable, where we bring communities together to address current problems and come up with appropriate solutions and proposals.

The two guests thanked Dr. Al-Naimi for his time and the good reception and praised the role of the Center in the past years and its efforts to promote coexistence, dialogue and acceptance of the other. Father Charbel took the opportunity to refer to last week’s religious freedom conference held in Doha: “During my interaction and discussion with the audience, I realized what a great contribution the Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue is making in promoting dialogue and opening doors for communication.”

His Excellency Dr. Al Naimi pointed out the importance of seeing diversity in Arab and Islamic societies in a positive light: “Ethnic and cultural diversity is not a condition that negatively affects societies, as some think, on the contrary, this great diversity that exists in many Arab and Islamic countries should be seen as richness, positivity, complementation, construction and integration, or at least as divine will. History has always produced beautiful examples of coexistence in our Arab and Islamic societies. It must be ensured that this richness is not exploited for self-interest or political purposes.”
Speaking about Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue, Prof. Ibrahim mentioned that since its establishment, DICID has been working to create a platform for dialogue to approach the common goals of different religions and cultures. DICID strives to combine and unite efforts to address the challenges that threaten human security and peaceful coexistence.

Then Prof. Ibrahim elaborated on the various activities of DICID and the different means to achieve its goals. He said: “The most important of these are annual conferences, roundtable discussions 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. These publications can be found in DICID’s peer-reviewed journal RELIGIONS, its regular newsletter, translations, and selected papers.”

Father Charbel praised the good reception and cooperation in the organization of this meeting and the pleasant reception that was associated with it. He intended to visit DICID together with Mr. Wissam to express their sincere desire to continue the good relations between the two parties to achieve common goals and expand cooperation and exchange of visions on the possibility of carrying out activities in the coming periods.

Prof. Ibrahim Al-Naimi pointed out the new activities of DICID and stated that a forum is currently being worked on to shed light on the role of women in dialogue, sustainable development and environmental protection. It could be held in the last quarter of the current year. It will be organized in cooperation between DICID and a partner. According to Dr. Al-Naimi, it is important to involve youth, women, clergy and leaders to involve them in the issues and activities of the dialogue.
In conclusion, His Excellency Dr. Ibrahim thanked the two guests for their time and visit, recalling the importance of communication and joint work that serves both sides and creates a culture of dialogue, coexistence and tolerance.