Al-Azhar, Vatican to discuss coexistence in Bahrain

Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmad El-Tayeb and Pope Francis will participate in the “Bahrain Forum for Dialogue: East and West for Human Coexistence” from November 3-6 to encourage peaceful coexistence worldwide.

The Forum will be hosted by Bahrain under the patronage of Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and with the participation of over 200 religious leaders and representatives around the world, in addition to prominent intellectual and media figures, according to Al Ahram Gate.

The Forum will be organized by the Muslim Council of Elders, the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the King Hamad Global Center for Peaceful Coexistence, in cooperation with Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, the Catholic Church, and a number of international institutions. The event will discuss means to promote global coexistence and human tolerance, dialogue and peace (the Declaration of the Kingdom of Bahrain as a model), as well as the role of religious figures in addressing global challenges and crises, Al Ahram Gate reported.  

Under the slogan “Peace on earth to people of goodwill”, the pope will be represented as “messenger of peace” in the four-day visit to Bahrain, the first pope to visit the Kingdom, encouraging nations to coexist together and to find middle ground where mutual respect and tolerance prevail, UCA News reported. 

Judge Muhammad Abdul Salam, Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders, said the Forum represents a message of peace to the world, praising Bahrain’s role in enhancing dialogue among various culture and religions. The Secretary-General affirmed that this step is a continuation of the journey that started in Abu Dhabi on February 4, 2019 with the declaration by Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayyeb and Pope Francis of the Document on Human Fraternity, the most important document in modern human history, according to Al Ahram Gate. 

Vatican News reported that the visit’s logo is designed as two hands open towards God with an olive branch in the middle, reflecting peace and nations’ willingness to tolerate. 

It is worth mentioning that Bahrain is considered the first country in the Arabian Gulf to build a Catholic church in 1939. It is also known to have the largest cathedral in the region to embrace the growing Catholic population all over the Gulf region, according to UCA News.