Pope Francis meets Sheikh of Al-Azhar: What is the importance of the Bahrain Forum?

Under the title “East and West for Human Coexistence”, the Bahrain Forum for Dialogue kicked off on Thursday in the Bahraini capital, Manama.

The forum will last for two days and will be attended by Pope Francis of the Catholic Church and Egypt's Grand Imam and Sheikh of Al-Azhar Ahmed El-Tayeb.

Pope Francis arrived Thursday afternoon in Bahrain on the four-day visit, which is the first of a Pope to this Gulf kingdom, in which he will renew his insistence on dialogue with the Islamic world.

In a post on Twitter on Wednesday, the Pope said, “I am leaving tomorrow (Thursday) on an apostolic journey to the Kingdom of Bahrain, a journey under the banner of dialogue. I will participate in a forum focusing on the inescapable need of the East and the West for their rapprochement for the good of human coexistence.”

The official Bahrain News Agency BNA reported that King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa's Special Representative, Sheikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, opened the work of the Bahrain Forum for Dialogue.

The forum is organized by the Isa Cultural Center (ICC), the Muslim Council of Elders, and the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs.

The President of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Khalifa, delivered a speech in which he referred to the initiative of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to launch the Dialogue Forum.

Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Khalifa welcomed the participation of the Sheikh of Al-Azhar and the head of the Catholic Church in the forum, adding that the forum aims to support the values of goodness and coexistence for the whole world in terms of security, peace, love and harmony.

He stressed that the Kingdom of Bahrain enjoys a distinct geography and an important strategic location. He explained that through the ages, Bahrain was a meeting place for various ancient civilizations and a vital center for trade and navigation lines. This made its people open to constructive interaction with different religions, sects, beliefs, ideas, cultures and civilizations.

In turn, President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov delivered a speech in which he stressed that the issue of interreligious and intercultural dialogue is a very important matter for the world at this stage in which it is going through difficult and complex situations.

Minnikhanov pointed out that the forum represents an opportunity to listen to various valuable opinions on ways of coexistence and social harmony between different cultures and religions.

He reviewed the experience of his country, Tatarstan, in promoting coexistence among all sects and components that live on its land, and its cultural and historical heritage based on diversity, pluralism and mutual respect.

For his part, UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan said, “This distinguished elite of thinkers, symbols and representatives of religions around the world express, by their presence in this forum, that we are all members of one human community working together to achieve a free life for everyone, everywhere.”

The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople in Turkey also delivered a speech in which he stressed the importance of dialogue in facing prejudice, fanaticism and misunderstanding of the other and their negative effects on peace.

He stressed the importance of joint humanitarian efforts that enhance the values of dialogue and contribute to the consolidation of coexistence in a way that contributes to overcoming crises.

Bahrain, with a population of 1.4 million, established diplomatic relations with the Vatican in 2000. It is home to about 80,000 Catholic Christians who come mainly from Southeast Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Western countries, according to the Vatican.

This is the thirty-ninth visit of the Pope abroad since his election and the second to the Gulf region after a historic visit to the UAE in 2019.

On Friday, the Pope will address the members of the Muslim Council of Elders at the Sakhir Palace Mosque. He will also meet the Sheikh of Al-Azhar, Grand Imam Ahmed El-Tayeb, with whom he signed a historical document on human brotherhood in Abu Dhabi.

During its sessions, the Bahrain Forum for Dialogue will discuss several axes that promote and consolidate peace and coexistence. The most prominent of these themes are the importance of interfaith dialogue, experiences of promoting global coexistence and human brotherhood, and the role of religious men and scholars in addressing contemporary challenges such as climate change and the global food crisis.

The closing day of the Bahrain Forum for Dialogue will witness three key speeches that will be delivered by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain; Grand Imam Dr. Ahmed El-Tayeb, Sheikh of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Council of Muslim Elders; and Pope Francis, Pope of the Vatican Catholic Church.