Sheikh Dr. Abdulsttar Abduljabbar, a member of the Supreme Council of the Iraqi Jurisprudential Assembly and the Friday Imam and preacher at the blessed Hanafi shrine, stated that dialogue with others is the broadest door to understanding them and gaining insight into their culture and beliefs.
This was mentioned during an open seminar held by the Sheikh with participants from the “In Dialogue We Remain and Elevate” camp, who visited the shrine of Imam Abu Hanifa Al-Nauman (may God be pleased with him) in the Al-A’zamiya district of Baghdad.
The Sheikh added that rejecting hate speech, accepting others, and adopting moderation is the only correct path to living in peace in ethnically diverse societies, including our country, Iraq.
The youth of the camp, representing various religions and sects from Sinjar and Baghdad, discussed the role of religious institutions in dialogue and enhancing its values, as well as the mechanisms of dialogue they aspire to see in religious discourse in Iraq.
The Sheikh expressed his happiness and pride in the team’s efforts, emphasizing that promoting a culture of dialogue, understanding, and respect among different religions and sects can only be achieved through the efforts of the youth, as they are the true wealth of the land. He affirmed that Iraq is a country of diversity, belonging to everyone, and deserves our collective efforts.
At the end of the meeting, participants from the youth of Sinjar presented a rock from Mount Sinjar as a memento of this meeting and an expression of their pride in this mountain, which symbolizes the resilience of the Yazidi community and their attachment to the land, country, and identity.
It is worth mentioning that the “In Dialogue We Remain and Elevate” camp launched in Baghdad with the participation of youth from Sinjar, who were joined by youth from Baghdad in its first phase. The campers will continue their tour in other cities of Iraq soon in a program aimed at promoting dialogue as a mechanism for building peace among followers of different religions and rejecting hate speech.
