15th Doha Conference on Interfaith Dialogue Discusses Importance of Family

Doha: Participants on the first day of the 15th Doha Conference on Interfaith Dialogue discussed a range of topics addressing important and central issues related to the family, its structure, religious and educational values, and its central role in upbringing. Dr. Aisha Yousuf Al Mannai, who is the Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue, emphasized the significance of the conference's theme amid contemporary global changes and the challenges facing families and their members. She stressed the necessity of working to protect and stabilize families. During her leadership of the conference's first session, she drew attention to the plight endured by Palestinian families and women in recent months due to Israeli violations affecting them at all levels, particularly the difficult suffering caused by Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip. Dr. Nazir Mohammad Nazir Ayad, who is the Secretary-General of the Islamic Research Complex at Al Azhar University in Eg ypt, also spoke during the session, praising Qatar's hosting of various dialogical conferences and the vital issues they address. He considered the conference a major scientific forum and affirmed Al Azhar's support for its outcomes, as they align with logic, reason, religion, and the nature and approach of Al Azhar itself, which emphasizes the necessity of supporting values and principles that enhance family stability and preserve its religious and cultural identity amid contemporary changes. He also commended Qatar's support for the Palestinian cause and denounced the massacres and genocide committed by the Israeli entity against Palestinians in Gaza, appreciating the role of the center in combating extremism and hatred and fostering cooperation and understanding among followers of divine religions. Following these remarks, participants in the session emphasized that organizing interfaith dialogue conferences has earned Qatar and the Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue a good reputation at a ll levels, particularly in a changing world with significant challenges that require collective action. They emphasized the importance of preserving family values, affirming that any infringement upon these values is a violation of human dignity, considering the family as the fundamental cell of society. Participants discussed the true picture of the family from a religious perspective, explaining and clarifying this view of human societies as a whole, highlighting the dangers and challenges facing the family institution today. They discussed the foundation of upbringing based on ethical and religious values, dismantling traditions and customs that have been passed down through successive generations. They pointed out that divine religions have given great importance to the family, considering it the primary nucleus from which the universe is populated and societies and peoples are branched out a cornerstone upon which social construction is based. They explained how sudden changes impact the concept and n atural components of the family, contributing to the disintegration of the cohesive content of families. The second general session of the conference centered on the pivotal role of the family in upbringing and education, addressing several key aspects including the structure of family building in religions (concept, status, responsibility), religious and educational values, and the interfaith solidarity concerning family rights and responsibilities. In this context, participants emphasized that families have experienced successive shocks that have shaken their foundations from concept and significance to purpose and objective. This necessitates addressing the problems facing human society at its roots and foundations, working to elevate the status of the family, emphasize its role, and highlight its importance. They called for identifying the fundamental challenges facing families today, especially those aimed at obliterating the factors of forming healthy families in the present age, and promoting positi ve role models as a practical embodiment contributing to nurturing and shaping human development, amidst the emergence of numerous negative models affecting individuals and societies. Source: Qatar News Agency