The Kingdom of Bahrain will tomorrow host the first meeting of the Permanent Committee for Islamic-Christian Dialogue between the Muslim Council of Elders and the Catholic Church.

The Permanent Committee for Islamic-Christian Dialogue was established under a joint memorandum of understanding between the Abu Dhabi-based Muslim Council of Elders and the Vatican's Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue as a direct result of the Bahrain Dialogue Forum: East and West for Human Coexistence, which took place in the Kingdom of Bahrain last November. The forum coincided with the historic official visit of His Holiness Pope Francis, Pontiff of the Catholic Church and His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, to the Kingdom of Bahrain, in response to a gracious invitation from His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the King of Bahrain.

The inaugural meeting also aims to coordinate joint efforts and initiatives to enhance dialogue and coexistence among people of different religious and cultural backgrounds and to support the Islamic-Christian dialogue, which has a long history of common coexistence. It is also part of the Bahrain Dialogue Forum’s calls to support joint projects between Islam and Christianity and to promote dialogue and coexistence on a global level.

The Kingdom of Bahrain is represented in the Muslim Council of Elders by His Excellency Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Chairman of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The Council seeks to implement various important initiatives and projects in the field of promoting peace and dialogue among followers of different religions in general, and between Islam and Christianity in particular.

In 2019, His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, joined hands with His Holiness Pope Francis, Pontiff of the Catholic Church to co-sign the landmark Document on Human Fraternity in Abu Dhabi. Widely regarded as the most important charter of interreligious dialogue in the modern era, the document’s signing was held under the esteemed patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates.