Muslim Council of Elders' Pavilion at the Baghdad International Book Fair Discusses the Role of Academic Institutions in Promoting Intra-Islamic Dialogue

Dean of Imam Al-Azam University: The Efforts of the Muslim Council of Elders Reflect an Enlightened Vision in Addressing the Challenges Facing the Nation

Member of Al-Azhar's Heritage Revival Office: Al-Azhar and the Muslim Council of Elders Play a Leading Role in Strengthening the Unity of the Nation and Supporting Intra-Islamic Dialogue

As part of its cultural program at the 25th Baghdad International Book Fair, the Muslim Council of Elders' pavilion hosted a seminar titled The Role of Academic Institutions in Promoting Intra-Islamic Dialogue. Prof. Salah Al-Din Al-Samarrai, Dean of Imam Al-Azam University, and Dr. Mohamed Jamal, a researcher at the Heritage Revival Office at Al-Azhar, presented the seminar.

The discussion emphasized the critical role that academic and educational institutions play in addressing the common challenges facing the Islamic world. It highlighted the importance of raising awareness about the value of intra-Islamic dialogue in fostering mutual understanding and strengthening ties between different Islamic schools of thought and sects. 

Prof. Salah Al-Din Al-Samarrai praised the Muslim Council of Elders, under the chairmanship of His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, for their efforts in promoting dialogue and laying the groundwork for a new era of mutual respect and understanding across the Islamic world. He pointed out that focusing on minor differences rather than fundamental issues has hindered progress within the Islamic nation and stressed the importance of Islamic history’s success in advancing science and civilization when it rose above such divisions. He noted that academic institutions specializing in Islamic jurisprudence have a responsibility to teach students about the origins of differences in jurisprudence and the necessity of peaceful coexistence.

Dr. Mohamed Jamal emphasized the vital role that Al-Azhar and the Muslim Council of Elders continue to play in promoting unity and dialogue within the Islamic world. He explained that these efforts are a direct response to the call made by His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb during the Bahrain Dialogue Forum in 2022, which urged the strengthening of Islamic unity and reaffirmed the notion that religious fraternity leads to broader human fraternity. This call marked a pivotal step toward initiating serious and productive dialogue across all Islamic sects.

The Muslim Council of Elders is participating for the first time at the Baghdad International Book Fair, in line with its mission to promote peace, foster dialogue and tolerance, and build bridges of coexistence among people of different races and beliefs. The pavilion, located in Baghdad Hall (Pavilion H2), showcases over 220 publications in five languages, including 24 new releases that address significant intellectual and cultural topics. Additionally, the pavilion is hosting a series of seminars and lectures featuring prominent thinkers, scholars, and academics to discuss ways to enhance dialogue and understanding among Islamic sects and to build bridges of communication, aiming for greater cooperation and unity among the various components of the Islamic nation.