The Seventh World Forum: East and West for Human Coexistence
-
Date: 03 November 2022 - 04 November 2022
-
Location
: Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain
Under the generous patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain, the Bahrain Dialogue Forum was held under the slogan: “East and West: Towards Human Coexistence” in the Bahraini capital, Manama, on November 3 and 4, 2022. The forum was held in the presence of His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders (MCE), Prof. Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, and His Holiness Pope Francis, Pope of the Catholic Church, and a large number of world religious figures and leaders, and prominent thinkers.
The forum was organized by the MCE in cooperation with the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in the Kingdom of Bahrain and the King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence, with the participation and attendance of more than 200 figures, leaders and representatives of religions around the world, in addition to prominent intellectual and media professionals. This forum came within the framework of the MCE efforts, headed by His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif & MCE Chairman, that aim at spreading the values of dialogue, acceptance of others, tolerance and coexistence. Such efforts, which culminated in the signing of the historic Human Fraternity Document by His Eminence the Grand Imam and His Holiness Pope Francis in Abu Dhabi in 2019, aim to reject all forms of extremism, racism and discrimination among people.
The forum’s activities included an opening session and four main sessions that focused on the experiences of global coexistence and human fraternity, and the issue of dialogue and peaceful coexistence (the Bahrain Declaration as a model). In addition, scholars of religion play an important role in addressing the challenges of the era: climate change and the global food crisis, and ways to enhance interfaith dialogue to achieve global peace (the Human Fraternity Document as a model).
The second day of the forum witnessed the closing session, which focused on “Interfaith Dialogue and Achieving World Peace: The Human Fraternity Document as a Model.” Among the important figures who attended and participated to the event are His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain, His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif & MCE Chairman, Prof. Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, and His Holiness Pope Francis, Pope of the Catholic Church and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain.
The session was distinguished by the calls of His Majesty the King of Bahrain to establish an international partnership based on diplomatic dialogue and peaceful means as a starting point to end wars and conflicts, especially the Russian-Ukrainian war. His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif & MCE Chairman, Prof. Ahmad Al-Tayyeb called for holding a serious Islamic-Islamic dialogue for the sake of unity, getting Muslims together to confront the challenges of Islamic nations, stopping the Russian-Ukrainian war, stopping bloodshed, raising the banner of peace and sitting down for dialogue and negotiations. His Holiness the Pope of the Catholic Church called to stop the war in Ukraine and begin serious peace negotiations.
