Chairman of Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue to QNA: Religions Share Keenness on Family Structure

Doha: HE Chairman of Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue (DICID) Dr. Ibrahim bin Saleh Al Naimi said the agenda of the 15th Doha Conference on Interfaith Dialogue, which will kick off Tuesday, will focus on religions' perspective on the family and its importance as the basic building block of the society. Speaking to Qatar News Agency , HE Dr. Al Naimi said the conference, which is held under the slogan "Family Structure in Light of Changing World: Religious Perspective", will highlighted the shared commonalities among religions regarding the family in light of contemporary world changes, and the distortions and challenges the family has become exposed to. He noted that all religions pay great attention to the family, and had laid spiritual, intellectual and moral foundations for its establishment, survival, development, cohesion and success, and provided solutions to its social, educational and psychological problems. HE Dr. Al Naimi noted that the DICID will announce during the conference t he winners of the Doha International Award for Interfaith Dialogue 2024 from among individuals and religious institutions active in supporting affected families. His Excellency applauded the great attention the State of Qatar, under the directives of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, attaches to the family as the foundation of the society and the nations renaissance. He said that the establishment of the Ministry of Social Development and Family is a true embodiment of the importance the State attaches to the family, the society and the authentic Qatari family values. His Excellency pointed to several activities and events that support the family in Qatar, noting that the State of Qatar will host later this year an international conference commemorating the 30th anniversary of the International Year of the Family, which confirms the great importance that the State of Qatar attaches to the family within the framework of its National Vision 2030. The conference will bring together about 500 schola rs, religious leaders, researchers, academics and specialists in family and social development, including 200 from the State of Qatar; he said; noting that 90 papers were selected for discussion during the two-day conference from among 300 papers. Since launched in 2003, the Doha Conference on Interfaith Dialogue has served as a platform for dialogue and debate between followers of the three monotheistic religions (Islam, Christianity, and Judaism) about many daily issues of concern to societies and humanity in general, leading to greater communication, cooperation, and building trust, HE Dr. Al Naimi explained. He noted that previous editions of the conference focused on several vital topics of interest to these religions and their followers, such as human rights, hate speech, the role of youth in promoting dialogue, human solidarity in the event of disasters and crises, and others. Summaries of the research and working papers discussed are prepared after the conclusion of each conference, and between thr ee to four books are published about them, so that they become an important reference for researchers in the fields of dialogue. Dr. Al Naimi expressed his regret at emerging negative phenomena affecting the family, such as homosexuality and the rights of children to change their gender and name and choose their religion; expressing concern that such negative changes may gradually extend to other countries whether Islamic, Christian, or Jewish. From this standpoint, the 15th Doha Conference on Interfaith Dialogue will focus on religions and raising children in light of contemporary family changes, he said. HE Chairman of Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue (DICID) Dr. Ibrahim bin Saleh Al Naimi underlined that all religions call for family unity, and emphasize the importance of family cohesion and the values of compassion and cooperation, and the issue of marriage and the formation of the natural family. He noted that many verses in the holy Quran and hadith in Islam, as well as evidence in o ther religions, call for the same approach, and stress the necessity of protecting the family as the basic building block and cornerstone in building any society, which means that religion is an important factor in building the family, and it is necessary for any society to maintain the family healthy, interconnected and integrated. He emphasized the important role the educational, academic, religious, cultural, civil, official research institutions in supporting family solidarity and cohesion; and underlined that the desired balance in the family system, since its inception, is based on the integration of roles between men and women, not by changing them or erasing them. Dr. Al Naimi noted that many problems and crises that the world is going through today, including economic ones, affect family cohesion. Therefore, the participants will consider how to deal with these challenges. He added that the identity and structure of the family system and its status, the responsibility and rights of every individua l in it, its central role in upbringing and education, and achieving family integration are fundamental issues for all religions. Dr. Al Naimi pointed to the negative impact of disputes and conflicts on the family and its cohesion, citing the situation of Palestinian families, which he described as a "tragic," especially in the Gaza Strip, because of Israel's devastating war and its barbaric attacks, as well as the situation of families in other countries exposed to conflicts, noting that the conference will discuss all these negative and harmful impacts on the family in plenary and specialized sessions. Through the rich and powerful discussion and interventions, the participants will come up with important results and recommendations regarding various issues of the family, its cohesion, safety and stability, he stressed. Regarding the winners of the 5th Doha International Award for Interfaith Dialogue, HE Dr. Al Naimi explained that the winners were chosen based on their achievements, as individuals or in stitutions, in supporting affected families whether as a result of poverty, disasters and wars, or due to dispersion and asylum. Source: Qatar News Agency