The Muslim Council of Elders' stand at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair hosted a seminar titled 'Coexistence in the era of Islamophobia' featuring Dr. Khalifa Al-Dhaheri, Deputy Director for Academic Affairs at the Mohamed bin Zayed University for the Humanities and Dr. Arif Nayed, Chairman of the Libya Institute for Advanced Studies (LIAS) and Kalam Research and Media (KRM).

The seminar discussed the role played by extremist groups in destroying Islam's image by spreading hate speech. Likewise, the panelists discussed the role of Islamic institutions in promoting dialogue between followers of different religions and countering hate, extremism and discrimination.

During the seminar, Dr. Khalifa Al-Dhaheri said, "Certain groups that promote hate speech and Islamophobia are not only a threat to Muslim communities but are an equal danger to Western countries. These accusations are not relevant to Islam as it is in fact a religion that promotes self control and spreading of love among humanity."

For his part, Dr. Arif Nayed remarked that everyone is equally responsible for countering Islamophobia  particularly intellectual, religious and cultural institutions. He pointed to the critical role played by such groups in disseminating incorrect teachings and extremist views as well as spreading tolerance, dialogue and human fraternity.

The Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Elders Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam said, "These seminars are part of the Muslim Council of Elders' dedication to promoting Islam's true and humane nature. This is also reflected in the Document on Human Fraternity which stressed the importance of tolerance, justice and fraternity."

The Muslim Council of Elders is taking part at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, which runs from 23 to 29 May 2022, with an extensive number of exhibited publications as well as various seminars and discussions at its participating stand.