280 students enroll in King Hamad Chair for Interfaith Dialogue and Peaceful Coexistence courses in Rome

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

King Hamad Global Center for Peaceful Coexistence has announced the enrollment of 280 students in the King Hamad Chair for Interfaith Dialogue and Peaceful Coexistence courses at Sapienza University during the first semester.

Dozens of students representing different religions have been interested in the specialized courses offered by the university in Roma in the field of interfaith dialogue and peaceful coexistence, attending 42 hours of lectures, 20 hours of workshops and 20 hours of conferences.

Alessio Mayo graduated from the King Hamad Chair for Interfaith Dialogue and Peaceful Coexistence at Sapienza University with honours. He presented a research paper entitled "The Cathedral in the Desert: A Brief History of Christianity in Bahrain from the Beginning to the Establishment of a New House of Worship."

Elena de Loreto and Martha Skaldon discussed two MA theses titled "Algerian Emir Abdelkader: An Example of Fraternity between Islam and Christianity" and "Baha'i: A Comparative Study between Bahrain and Italy."

In February, the centre will launch its winter program with the participation of 25 students representing several prestigious European countries and universities, including university students from Bahrain. The lectures will be held virtually in light of the exceptional restrictions imposed by COVID-19.

The program aims to provide students with the skills to enable them to use the best analytical methods and methodological tools to study the nature of the existing links between different religions in terms of peaceful coexistence and common denominators among religions and sects.

The students will also have the opportunity to broaden their perceptions about the historical, cultural and social aspects of religions and study them from the perspective of dialogue and peacebuilding based on mutual acceptance and mutual respect.

“Despite the rapid changes that accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic and its negative consequences on all sectors, the King Hamad Chair for Interfaith Dialogue and Peaceful Coexistence continues to fulfil its noble mission by maintaining the momentum of his academic activities and adapting to any developments," Dr Shaikh Khalid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, said:

"This is also by harnessing modern technologies and the latest distance learning tools to communicate with students and scholarships and to offer innovative interactive workshops and courses to enhance the values and principles of interfaith dialogue, peaceful coexistence, and moderation in thinking and cultural diversity."

Shaikh Khaled affirmed the keenness of the Center and the University of Sapienza to sustain the programs and initiatives under the umbrella of the King Hamad Chair for Interfaith Dialogue and Peaceful Coexistence in a way that boosts the participation of more promising youth from different parts of the world.

This paves the way for the respect of religious freedoms, ensuring the rights of everyone to practise freely their rituals, building a constructive and fraternal dialogue between different religions and beliefs, and rejecting all forms of racism, sectarianism, and abuse based on ethnic or sectarian lines.

The King Hamad Chair in Inter-Faith Dialogue and Peaceful Coexistence is an academic discipline launched in 2018 to enlighten and engage young people from around the world as a means to combat terrorism, extremism and radicalization.

The activities of the Chair are presented on a Bachelor’s degree in History, Anthropology and Religions, a Master’s Degree in Religious Studies and a PhD in Religions and Cultural Meditation, in addition to an annual summer program.