Digital Media and Its Role in Spreading Values of Tolerance and Coexistence – Seminar at the Muslim Council of Elders' Pavilion at the Sharjah International Book Fair
The Muslim Council of Elders' pavilion at the 43rd Sharjah International Book Fair hosted a seminar titled “Digital Media in the Service of Humanity,” presented by Fadila Al-Muaini, President of the UAE Journalists Association, and moderated by Khalifa Khalid, a participant in the “Emerging Peacemakers Forum” initiative. The seminar explored the significant role digital media and social media platforms can play in fostering human connections across societies and promoting a culture of tolerance, coexistence, and peace.
At the beginning of the seminar, Fadila Al-Muaini emphasized that, despite its challenges, digital media today carries a powerful message and should contribute to building awareness and disseminating truth in a professional and objective manner. She highlighted that the digital transformation requires media institutions to combine traditional professionalism with digital innovation to maintain their influence. Al-Muaini called for greater efforts to promote awareness of critical thinking and information credibility, noting that such integration enhances public trust in media and strengthens its role in fostering more informed and engaged societies. Al-Muaini also pointed to the importance of keeping pace with today’s technological advancements to spread and reinforce the values of dialogue, tolerance, and human coexistence, praising the Muslim Council of Elders' initiatives in this field.
Khalifa Khalid, a participant in the “Emerging Peacemakers Forum” initiative, highlighted that the rapid evolution of media, especially the rise of social media platforms as effective tools for mass communication, places a unique responsibility on everyone to use these platforms to promote values of tolerance, coexistence, and peace. He stressed that positive use of social media can strengthen human connections and encourage understanding across diverse cultures. He also noted that the Muslim Council of Elders has successfully promoted interfaith and intercultural dialogue through a series of initiatives aimed at strengthening human fraternity and mutual understanding.
The Muslim Council of Elders is participating for the third time with at the Sharjah International Book Fair, affirming its mission to promote peace, foster the values of dialogue and tolerance, and build bridges of cooperation among people of all backgrounds and beliefs. The pavilion features over 220 publications addressing various important intellectual and cultural topics and hosts a range of cultural and intellectual programs for fair visitors and is located in the Arabic section, Hall 6, Pavilion M8 at the Sharjah Expo Center.