Manama: Salah Yousif Al Jowder, Member of the Board of Trustees of the King Hamad Global Centre for Coexistence and Tolerance, highlighted Bahrain's approach to promoting dialogue and coexistence during a session on national, regional, and international best practices in combating hate speech against Muslims at the second International Conference on Combating Discrimination against Islam and Muslims in Cairo.
According to Bahrain News Agency, the conference is organized by the General Secretariat of the Arab League in cooperation with the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ICESCO) under the theme "Muslim Communities in the West and Their Role in Confronting Islamophobia."
Al Jowder emphasized that promoting coexistence and mutual respect is fundamental to combating hate speech and discrimination. He noted that the vision of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the directives of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, have established an approach focused on protecting human dignity, respecting religious freedom, and fostering dialogue and understanding among peoples and cultures to strengthen social security, stability, and cohesion.
He elaborated that hate speech often evolves from stereotypes and prejudice into discrimination and exclusion, highlighting the shared responsibility of families, educational institutions, places of worship, the media, legislative bodies, and civil society in promoting mutual respect and strengthening social cohesion.
Al Jowder also pointed out that the Kingdom of Bahrain offers a model for promoting tolerance and coexistence through the King Hamad Global Centre for Coexistence and Tolerance. The Centre's programs, initiatives, and regional and international partnerships support efforts to combat hate speech, promote dialogue, and build more cohesive societies.