Doha: The 13th conference on interfaith dialogue, held under the organization of Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue (DICID), will take place on February 20 and 21 under the theme of “Religion and Human Rights.”
The conference will discuss three main aspects, namely: human rights in religion, the position of religion on human rights violations, and human rights issues between heavenly laws and international covenants.
The first theme will touch on the freedom of belief and religious practice, the individual rights and public interest, and the human political, economic and social rights. The second theme will tackle the religious views on extremism and terrorism, religious tolerance and rejection of religious intolerance, and violation of individual and group freedoms.
The third theme, meanwhile, will discuss religious teachings and the promotion of international human rights laws, successful experiments to integrate religious values in human rights laws, and the responsibility of international law in the protection of vulnerable religious groups.
DICID Chairman Dr. Ibrahim bin Saleh Al Naimi highlighted the importance of choosing human rights as a theme for the conference in light of the human rights violations around the world at all levels whether by states, groups or individuals.
He added that the 13th edition of the conference comes to demonstrate the interlocking relationship between religions and human rights as the cornerstone of the universe, for which humanitarian laws have been enacted in an attempt to cover all aspects of this important issue from the perspective of religions and their legislation.
Dr. Al Naimi stressed the importance of having the religious scholars in the driving seat of working to protect human rights through awareness and finding solutions stemming from religious laws, which in general promote human rights and call for human dignity.
He also noted that the preservation of human rights, regardless of religion, gender or colour, is a constant in all divine religions, in which all people are equal and have the right to life, dignity and freedom as well as all other human rights that do not violate heavenly legislation.
