Manama, Under the theme “Finding Beauty in the Other,” the International Congress, organised by the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia in collaboration with the King Hamad Global Center for Peaceful Coexistence (KHGC), opened today at the Isa Cultural Centre.
Diplomats, academics and religious figures from different countries of the world attended the event, hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain which will continue until October 22.
The opening of the Congress was attended by Ali Abdullah Al Aradi, KHGC Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees; Monsignor Khaled Boutros Akasheh, the Bureau Chief for Islam and Secretary of the Commission for Religious Relations with Muslims in the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue in the Vatican; Bishop Aldo Berardi, the Apostolic Vicar of Northern Arabia; Archbishop Eugene Martin Nugent, the Apostolic Nuncio for Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait, and Father Antonio Aurelio Fernández Serrano, the President of Trinitarian International Solidarity.
The congress reflects the import
ance of the role played by interfaith dialogue in creating a peaceful and inclusive society. It provides a platform to spread the values of peace and respect, as it brings together individuals from diverse religious backgrounds with the aim of enhancing mutual understanding.
In his speech, the Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees expressed pride in hosting the International Congress in Bahrain. He said this demonstrates the commitment, led by the vision of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, to promoting values of tolerance and peaceful coexistence as a necessity in an increasingly interconnected world.
Al Aradi highlighted its objectives of exchanging ideas and cultural knowledge, to promote awareness of common human values. He said exchange contributes to building bridges of understanding between different communities, and encourages cooperation in various fields such as education and social development.
The event highlights the Kingdom of Bahrain Declaration calling for religious freedom, int
erfaith dialogue and knowledge exchange, and will discuss the outcomes of the visit of His Holiness Pope Francis to the Kingdom of Bahrain to participate in the “Bahrain Forum for Dialogue: East and West for Human Coexistence” held from 3 – 6 November 2022, and his meetings within the framework of fraternity and dialogue as called for in the “Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together” document.
The International Congress will also hold discussion sessions on the following topics: the role of education in combating hate speech and promoting peaceful coexistence, peaceful coexistence transcending religions, hate speech and its impact on peaceful coexistence, and the importance of building bridges between cultures and religions to achieve sustainable peace.
Source: Bahrain News Agency