Seminar of the Royal Institute for Interfaith Studies on the occasion of Harmony Week and Human Fraternity Day

As part of the Interfaith Harmony Week celebrations and the launch of the Document on Human Fraternity, the Royal Institute for Interfaith Studies hosted a seminar on Wednesday titled “The Document on Human Fraternity in the Thought of Pope Francis and Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb.”
The seminar began with a welcome address by Dr. Tagreed Odeh, the Institute’s Director, who greeted the esteemed attendees. Father Dr. Rifaat Bader then delivered a speech focusing on the concept of human fraternity as articulated by Pope Francis, providing a historical context for the documents that led to the creation of the Document on Human Fraternity.
Following this, Dr. Amer Al-Hafi, the Academic Advisor to the Royal Institute, offered a detailed analysis of the document from the perspective of Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar. He emphasized how Sheikh Al-Tayeb’s upbringing influenced his enlightened vision and highlighted the document’s significance as the first joint religious text between Islam and Christianity, emphasizing shared human values that transcend religious divisions.
The seminar wrapped up with an open discussion involving participants, including academics and religious leaders from both Christianity and Islam, who contributed valuable insights and comments to the dialogue.