In commemoration of the first anniversary of the signing of the Document on Human Fraternity, signed by His Holiness Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmad al-Tayyib, a Jordanian media delegation participated in the Arab Media Convention which was held on February 3 in Abu Dhabi and organized by the Muslim Council of Elders.
The Jordanian delegation included Director of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media (CCSM) in Jordan Fr. Dr. Rif’at Bader, Director of the Jordan News Agency, Petra, Mr. Fayeq Hijazin, Director of Jordanian Al-Mamlakah satellite channel Ms. Dana Al-Suyagh, media professional from the Ro’ya satellite channel Mr. Fouad Al-Karsha, media professional from Jordanian Al-Mamlakah satellite channel Mr. Tariq Al-Ass, and former minister of information Mr. Saleh Al-Qallab.
The conference was patronized by Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Elders Dr. Sultan Al-Rumaithi with the participation of Prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Communication Paolo Ruffini, and UAE Minister of Tolerance Sheikh Nahyan Ben Mubarak Al Nahayan.
The members of the Jordanian delegation participated in administering or participating in seminar discussions in the two-day conference during which they stressed in their addresses that the media have a great message in bringing people together as well as in promoting understanding and harmony. They also presented proposals to the participants in the conference relevant to spreading the common human, spiritual, and Christian spiritual values contained in the ‘Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together’ document.
At the end of the conference a celebration marking the first anniversary of the document was held under the patronage of UAE Foreign Sheikh Abdullah Ben Zayed with the participation of Cardinal Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, and in the presence of a number of ambassadors, including Jordan’s Ambassador Jum’a al-‘Abbadi. Furthermore, the Arab Media Convention launched a 20-point code of conduct for Arab media professionals that defines the principles to be adopted by institutions and media professionals so as to contribute to enhancing peace, common living, combating hatred, and protecting the rights of the vulnerable.
During the conference, Fr. Dr. Bader expressed his pleasure for returning to the UAE a year after the signing of the Document on Human Fraternity . He said, “We must support every initiative that minimizes or even eliminates speeches of extremism and exclusion of others, so that speeches as well as initiatives of love and cooperation between Muslims and Christians would emerge in order to promote human dignity and brotherhood that bring together the children of Earth.” He added, ” it is a good omen that the conference is held in Abu Dhabi and that the document was signed in the first week of February which coincides with the World Interfaith Harmony Week that has over the past ten years been a Hashemite thought, a Jordanian initiative, and a global application.
Source: en.abouna.org
