SENIOR religious leaders from around the world began arriving yesterday for the Bahrain Forum for Dialogue: East and West for Human Coexistence, being held in conjunction with the visit of Pope Francis to the kingdom.
Approximately 200 leaders will continue to arrive in Bahrain for the event, being organised today and tomorrow by the King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence in co-operation with the Muslim Council of Elders and the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs.
The Pope will be in Bahrain until Sunday.
The Royal Court announced yesterday that His Majesty King Hamad would welcome Pope Francis upon his arrival in the kingdom this afternoon.
Commitment
At the forum, the 85-year-old pontiff will be joined by Muslim Council of Elders chairman and Al Azhar Grand Imam Dr Shaikh Ahmed Al Tayyeb, who will also arrive in Bahrain today at the invitation of the King.
“The Court praises His Holiness and His Eminence’s commitment to promoting a culture of dialogue, coexistence, tolerance and support for human fraternity,” a statement from the Royal Court added.
Pakistan’s Religious Affairs Minister Mufti Abdul Shakoor Sardar Khan visited the Ahmed Al Fateh Islamic Centre yesterday, where he was received by Shaikh Farhat Al Kindi, head of religious guidance at the centre.
The UAE’s Tolerance and Coexistence Minister Shaikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan arrived yesterday and was received by Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs chairman Shaikh Abdul Rahman bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Khalifa, Education Minister Dr Majid Al Nuaimi, Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Minister Nawaf Al Maawda and UAE Embassy Minister Plenipotentiary Ali Bin Yousef Al Nuaimi.
Muslim Council of Elders member, Emirates Council for Sharia Fatwa member and Dubai Islamic Affairs Department’s Fatwa Department director Dr Ahmed Al Haddad asserted that the dialogue seeks to consolidate the principles of human coexistence.
Meanwhile, three senior Islamic clerics from Indonesia also arrived in the kingdom yesterday. Muhammad Zainul Majdi, Din Syamsuddin and Muhammad Quraish Shihab were received by the Indonesian Ambassador, Ardi Hermawan, at the airport.
In addition, Mahabrahmrishi Shree Kumar Swami from India will also be attending the forum.
Alongside the dialogue, Pope Francis and Dr Al Tayyeb will be chairing the 16th meeting of Muslim Council of Elders forum that will review global challenges, including climate changes, lack of food and water, and other humanitarian catastrophes, and the role of religious leaders in addressing them through an Islamic-Christian dialogue.
The highlight of the Pope’s visit is the Papal Mass on Saturday at the Bahrain National Stadium and a ‘Meeting with the Youth’ at Sacred Heart School in the evening.
More than 20,000 spaces have been reserved for the Mass so far and more than 600 volunteers are ready to assist as part of logistics support.
According to an official programme of the Apostolic Journey released by the Holy See in Rome, the mass will be held at 8.30am. Catholics of the Vicariate of Northern Arabia as well as people from the surrounding areas are expected to attend.
The pontiff will also address the closing of the Bahrain Forum For Dialogue: East and West For Human Coexistence on Friday at 10am.
On Sunday, the Pope is scheduled to attend a prayer meeting and Angelus with priests, consecrated persons, seminarians and pastoral workers at the Sacred Heart Church in Manama.
naman@gdnmedia.bh
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