Programme trains youths on countering extremism, making peace

AMMAN — The shared value among all humans is ethics, while extremism, which is not limited to a certain religion, is an unethical phenomenon, according to HRH Prince Hassan.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony of the academic programme "Islam, Diversity and Peace Building" on Tuesday evening, the prince expressed his solidarity with the victims of the terror blasts in Brussels.

Prince Hassan said such an academic programme moves in the right direction since it focuses on high values and morals, advising the graduates to strive to be productive in their communities. 

The ceremony was organised by the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies (RIIFS) in cooperation with Adyan Foundation in Lebanon, and supported by the British embassy there.

RIIFS Director Majeda Omar said the programme is part of the cooperation with Adyan Foundation, which started in 2006, and that the event is perceived as a new path of cooperation between the two institutes.

Participants from 14 countries, including Algeria, Morocco, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Indonesia, Egypt and Palestine joined the programme, which aimed to develop critical thinking, build young people's capacity to create peace and enable them to spread religious diversity in their societies. 

Fadia Alibraheem, a participant from Jordan, told The Jordan Times that her experience in the programme enabled her to witness diversity at its core.

“The group of 28 participants was diverse in religion, ethnic background, culture, and education. I learned that although there are many urgent issues around us, they seem so small and partially insignificant to the issue of interreligious dialogue, since it is the path to combat terrorism through understanding and respecting humanity,” she said.

Adyan Foundation Director Nayla Tabbara said the project comes in response to the need to have an objective approach to understanding religion, and develop cultural awareness in order to stand against extremism.

Adyan was founded in 2006 by members from Christian and Muslim denominations. 

Hadi Abdulhadi, programme director at Adyan, told The Jordan Times that such programmes teach participants how to use critical thinking to counter extremism.

“The main idea is to know that we cannot defeat extremism in a short term plan; the process is long and there is always a need to empower the young generation, academics, activists and journalists to fight against radical thinking.”

British Ambassador to Jordan Edward Oakden said his country is committed to supporting stability and a harmonious society in the Middle East, especially in Jordan and Lebanon.