Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Al-Naimi delivers talk as guest speaker for Qatar Radio on the International Day for Cultural Diversity

24 May Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Al-Naimi delivers talk as guest speaker for Qatar Radio on the International Day for Cultural Diversity

On Saturday evening, May 22nd, Qatar Radio hosted Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Saleh Al-Naimi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue (DICID), for a talk on the importance of cultural diversity after participating in the online seminar held by the Qatari Forum for Authors entitled: “Writing and authorship as ambassadors of culture to promote cultural diversity”, all part of the celebration of the International Day for Cultural Diversity, which falls on May 21 of each year.

A review of the talk is as follows:

In the beginning…how does oneincorporate interfaith dialogue in the field of cultural diversity?

The beginning of interfaith dialogue is a branch of dialogue in general, and dialogue is nothing but a cognitive interaction between interlocutors in which the thought of the other is read clearly and closely, and his view of the disagreements with him in religion, culture, customs and traditions are recognized.

As for your question about religious dialogue and its use as a means of rapprochement and emphasis on cultural diversity, religious dialogue is a very important and urgent necessity to clarify the truth of religions, specifically for us, the Islamic religion, and its rejection of conflict and clash and all those calling for them. Interfaith dialogue is needed for the creation of a spirit of peace among all people of all races and religions, and for the agreement on shared values i.e., a common humanity that aims at coexistence, tolerance, cooperation and peace, acceptance of the other and recognition of his rights, religious and civil freedom.

How can cultural diversity contribute to enriching writing and passing on experiences?

Managing the concept of cultural diversity and a special understanding of intellectuals and writers is a matter of great importance, especially in our contemporary reality, the understanding that is most capable of conveying ideas, science and the true image of our religion and culture. Hence the role of Arab and Muslim writers, thinkers and intellectuals to support writing and publishing efforts in the field of dialogue with others is important. As the true messengers to convey the true image of the Islamic religion and our Arab culture, and to change the mentality of the other about Islam and their views of dialogue;

How can this happen while preserving the cultural identity?

Take for example a luminous flame, is it not carried by someone who maintains its light? The bearer of this light are writers and thinkers.

Allow me to sincerely invite Arab and Muslim thinkers and writers to intensify cultural dialogues, especially those concerned with interfaith dialogue, cultural and intellectual diversity, and dialogue of civilizations, and for us to have an intellectual, knowledge and philosophical depth of the importance of this dialogue, its foundations, principles and methods, and to spread this thought to young people. So we will have a young Muslim generation of thinkers and researchers, and a humanitarian research movement will emerge that is inspired by the principles of religion and applies them in dialogue with other religions and cultures. To meet the argument with the argument, we know that the West pays great attention to such matters.

What is more befitting than the passing down of experiences in our culture as the contribution of Arab peoples for the benefit of cultural diversity?

The exceptional circumstances that the world went through were, and are still – as we see – the growing phenomenon of extremism and intolerance and sectarian, ethnic, religious and sectarian charging, and the resultant conflicts. An urgent need emerged for us as Arab peoples to make a serious shift towards the properrepresentationof our culture to the other, and to promote a culture of dialogue with them, the most important of which of course is the dialogue of religions and cultures belonging to different civilizations. Especially since the world today has become a small village, and the fate of its inhabitants is interconnected and intertwined, so that what is happening in the east has an echo in the west. This is due to the shortening of distances, the spread of media, and the language of information communication technology.
This was an important impetus for the presence in the Islamic world and for centers for dialogue, among them being the Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue (DICID).

Does this fall on the intellectuals, and what is the expected role for them in this field?

Of course .. because thinkers, as I mentioned, are the first line and they are the mind of the nation that transmits its knowledge and culture as well as its civilization and identity, and before that the values of its religion. Therefore, Arab and Muslim thinkers and researchers should participate extensively in in-depth research and dialogue activities, and publish their findings in their books and publications on an ongoing basis, and on all written, audio and visual platforms. On the other hand, we find – unfortunately – only a few Arab and Muslim thinkers, writers and intellectuals interested in such matters, and accordingly, the Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue urges Arab and Muslim writers, thinkers and researchers not to neglect these issues, pay attention to them, and be diligent in publishing. Many Arab and Muslim philosophers have preceded us in this field, and they passed a lot on to us, literature that scholars and researchers in the East and West are still searching, such as the publications and works of Ibn Rushd and Ibn Khaldun and other Muslim scholars.

The importance of translation and its role in enriching this cultural diversity

Translation is the transfer of thought from the other toones own language as well as to preserving it for the future, and thus it is an important way, or rather the most important way to know the ideas of those who differ with you.Therefore,you will not find any works published by the Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue without it being issued in both Arabic and English, and sometimes in many other languages.

How can this diversity contribute to the portrayal of our Arab and Islamic heritage?

There are ideas that have been deeply rooted in the Western mentality, and have even entrenched the hostile view of Islam and Muslims for years, decades, and even centuries before, and the enemies of Islam and the enemies of humanity from within and outside the country invested in them as the spearhead in their war against Islam and Muslims.

The fear of many people from Islam appears to be the result of ignorance of Islam and its truth in the first place, and this fear is fuelled with a superficial view of the bad practices of a small handful of those who claim to belong to Islam, who are in fact Muslims in form and not in substance, and looking at it as what the Islamic religion enjoins and encourages, in addition to some sources information about Islam in the West which lack objectivity and integrity, or reflect false ideas about the essence of Islam, its teachings, its Sharia and its origins; whether out of ignorance or often intentionally.

It claims that Muslim practices stem from a fossilized, non-peaceful culture that differs from other civilized cultures and that Islam is a religion that is intolerant to those who disagree with it, and that it is a religion that aspires to dominate the world and Islamicize it and that it is based on spreading its principles by force and destroying and suppressing followers of other religions.