King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Co-existence Board of Trustees’ Chairman Dr. Shaikh Khalid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa took part in the 7th Conference of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.
Themed ” Role of Religious Leaders in the Spiritual and Social Development of Humanity for the Post-Pandemic Period”, the two-day event which concluded on September 15, was held in which was held in the Kazakh capital, Nur-Sultan, under the auspices of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassim Tokayev,
His Holiness Pope Francis, Pope of the Vatican, His Eminence the Grand Imam Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb and Chief Rabbi of Israel Isaac Youssef attended, along with more than 300 people from 80 countries representing different religions, sects and religious institutions concerned with interfaith dialogue.
Adressing the conference, Dr. Shaikh Khalid stated the The declaration of the Kingdom of Bahrain, which was written by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, in text and in thought, stems from historical foundations on coexistence in Bahrain.
The documents also stems from the right religious approach, and inferred from the reality of the legacy, heritage, history of the Kingdom and the way of life of the people, given that Bahrain possesses A unique historical experience with roots stretching back hundreds of years, he added.
The two-conference coincides with the anniversary of the inauguration of the “Declaration of the Kingdom of Bahrain,” four years ago in Los Angeles.
He pointed out that the Declaration is based on a number of principles that are the pillars of religious tolerance and peaceful human coexistence, and thus it is an approach to peace in the world.
“Faith is the hope of humanity and the framework that defines the foundations of life and the ethics of coexistence among peoples”, he said stressing the need to preserve the authenticity of people’s beliefs away from amalgamations, influences, distortion and desecration factors.
He noted the importance of the principle of freedom of choice and belief, adding that humanity’s continuation and peaceful coexistence are linked to the freedom to practice faith and reject coercion to a certain thought.
He called on participants to adopt the declaration of the Kingdom of Bahrain, whose articles urge governments, religious leaders and individuals to play an active role in creating an environment that develops and encourages mutual respect and cooperation for the sake of human brotherhood.
He outlined the centre’s nitiatives and programmes that aim to spread awareness, especially among young people of different affiliations and countries.
He also stressed that despite the challenges that afflicted global societies due to the pandemic, the center has maintained the continuity of the educational programmes.
The participants praised the center’s achievements in serving peace and humanity and commended the contents of the declaration, emphasizing what was stated in His Majesty the King’s saying that “ignorance is the enemy of peace”.
They also commended the dedication of the centre to serve youth development in the field of education, tolerance and interfaith dialogue.
Source: Bahrain News Agency