On 13 February 2025, RSC Senior Fellow Shireen Mashaqba took part in the interreligious conference “15 years of Interfaith Harmony Week, 5 years of Human Fraternity Day”, organized in Amman, Jordan, by the Catholic Center for Studies and Media (CCSM) and Caritas Jordan to celebrate the “World Interfaith Harmony Week” and the “International Day of Human Fraternity”. The gathering brought together a distinguished group of speakers and attendees, including government officials, religious leaders, decision-makers, ambassadors, civil society and media representatives.
The “World Interfaith Harmony Week”, observed annually at the beginning of February, was introduced by the United Nations in 2010 following a proposal by King Abdullah II of Jordan, which was unanimously adopted by the UN General Assembly under Resolution A/RES/65/5. The “International Human Fraternity Day” was declared by the United Nations in 2021 to support the message and principles of the “Human Fraternity Document for World Peace and Living Together”, signed by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al Azhar, Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayyeb, on 4 February 2019.
In her remarks, RSC Senior Fellow Mashaqba emphasized that “Jordan serves as a living example of religious harmony”. “Dialogue, coexistence, and cooperation for the common good are firmly rooted in daily life”, she argued, adding that “mutual respect and freedom of worship are essential in fostering inclusive citizenship as a prerequisite for a shared national identity”. “In Jordan, as well as in other MENA countries”, she concluded, “we need to uphold these values, as the way forward to ensure long-lasting peace and security across the entire region”.
CCSM Director, Dr. Fr. Rifat Bader, underscored the fact that “Jordan is experiencing nowadays a genuine national unity and cohesion, as a result of years of dialogue and engagement in building a peaceful society”. In addition to the World Interfaith Harmony Week, Dr. Bader referenced “the Amman Message and the Common Word Initiative as significant endeavors endorsed by King Abdullah II, which greatly contributed to strengthening Jordan as a model of brotherhood and coexistence”. Dr. Bader also expressed his “pride for Jordan’s deep-rooted religious heritage encompassing both Islam and Christianity”, and praised “the Kingdom’s diplomatic stance in support of the rights of Palestinians”.