Dr. Tagreed Odeh, General Director of the Royal Institute for Inter-faith Studies, participated in the 33rd General Assembly of the Orthodox Parliamentary Assembly, focusing on “Christian Minorities in Times of Crisis”. During her participation, Dr. Odeh addressed the growing challenges facing the region and the world, including economic, social and political crises, highlighting the rise of exclusionary and hateful rhetoric and its adverse impact on society.
The Speech also addressed the pivotal role played by the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies as a dialogue platform for different religions and cultures, and its active role in promoting the values of peace and justice in the Levant, It covered the important conferences and meetings organised by the Institute, the most recent of which was the Interfaith Dialogue Conference in Rome, held under the title ‘Compassion and Human Empathy in the Modern Age’, with the participation of H.R.H Prince El Hassan and numerous religious leaders from various Islamic and Christian communities.
Dr. Odeh highlighted the Institute’s mission, aligned with H.R.H prince El Hassan’s vision, based on protecting human dignity and promoting the values of coexistence and ongoing dialogue between religions and cultures, not only in the Levant but worldwide. In her speech, she also addressed the situation in Palestine and the current state of affairs, in which all aspects of life have been deliberately destroyed, thereby violating human and ethical values, she shed light on the suffering faced by Christian families and the constant pressures exerted upon them, whether in Gaza or the West Bank, as well as the destruction that has reached the holy sites which represent the human memory of the place.
Dr. Odeh also raised the jointly shared responsibility by society and religious institutions to build strong partnerships fostering the concepts of citizenship and justice and protecting the dignity of all components of society without discrimination. She emphasised the need to continue interfaith dialogue between Muslims and Christians, as well as dialogue amongst Christians themselves, based on values that strengthen our common humanity. She stressed her condemnation of the use of religion as a tool in political conflicts and violence, and called for a commitment to the sanctity of life and respect for religious beliefs, while seeking to establish a society promoting peace and justice for all within a comprehensive citizenship framework.