On the occasion of the World Day of Religions, and in cooperation with Masarat Foundation, Ishtar Center for Democracy Support held at its headquarters in Baghdad a discussion panel discussion on Islamic-Christian dialogue under the title:
(The future of Islamic-Christian dialogue after twenty years of change)
In a comparative context between the Lebanese and Iraqi experiences.
Masarat Foundation reviewed its experience in Islamic-Christian dialogue during the 18 years since the publication of Masarat magazine in 2005, and the first meetings that were organized in cooperation with the Dominican Order of Fathers since 2007, leading to the launch of the Islamic-Christian Dialogue Initiative in 2010, the establishment of the Iraqi Council for Interfaith Dialogue in 2013, and finally by establishing the Institute for Religious Diversity Studies in 2020. The General Coordinator of Masarat Foundation, Dr. Saad Salloum pointed out the most prominent challenges facing dialogue in the period after the liberation of Iraq from the terrorist organization ISIS and rebuilding confidence among the components of Iraqi society.
Dr. Walid Zeila from the Evangelical Baptist College in Beirut referred to the experience of Islamic-Christian dialogue after the period of the Lebanese civil war, pointing out the various challenges that Lebanon faced and their impact on the future of dialogue between the components of Lebanese society, both Muslims and Christians. On a related level, Pastor Ara Badalian, head of the Council of National Evangelical Churches in Iraq, pointed out the importance of the cross-fertilization of the Lebanese and Iraqi experiences and their similarity in light of the close social characteristics of both countries. Especially with the continuing migration of Christians from Iraq and Lebanon and its impact on the identity of the two countries and the future of pluralism in them.
Sheikh Dr. Anas Al-Issawi focused on the importance of Islamic-Christian dialogue and its impact on confronting hate speech and stereotyping of different others. He talked about his experience in co-founding Confronting Hate Speech Center at Masarat Foundation and how communicative dialogue between clerical elites affects the promotion of societal peace and the opening of popular channels of communication to reduce societal tensions.
Dr. Ahmed Kataw, representative of the Circassians in Iraq, shared his experience in a comparative context within the Kurdistan region, reviewing the work of the National Organization for Diversity and the challenges facing Islamic-Christian dialogue in the context of a different and more diverse environment. The discussion panel witnessed participation and discussions from elites representing the various components of Iraqi society, representatives of the Christian Endowments Office, the Yazidis, and the Sabean Mandaeans, the Ministry of Culture, Al-Nahrain Center for Strategic Studies, and many experts, academics, and diplomats.
