(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Parents should inculcate the culture of tolerance in children from their childhood, said the speakers at an interfaith dialogue held yesterday.
The speakers were talking at the fourth roundtable among local communities organised by Doha International Centre for Interfaith Dialogue (DICID) in partnership with Christian Churches Steering Committee at La Cigale Hotel in Doha.
Fr Thomas Michel a professor at Georgetown University-Qatar discussing a topic on "Children are a reflection of their parents" said that most of the attitudes children had about other people were always formed at a dinner table with their parents.
"By the time a child goes to school they have already learnt which kinds of people are dirty, lazy and not trustworthy," he said.
He said it was important that societies made efforts to bring about the culture of tolerance before violence struck, as it was harder to seek reconciliation after violence. He also urged societies to bring people together and fight the prejudices adding that in the US where he came from, people who have never meant a Muslim had a bad perception about Muslims formed from the press where as those who have meant Muslims were comfortable living with Muslims.
Dr Edward Omar Moad the professor at College of Arts and Science at Qatar University discussing the same topic however disagreed that children were always a reflection of their parents. He said it was common for children to take a different course and perspective of life from their parents as it had been the case with Prophet Ibrahim who despite growing in a community of idolaters' and his parents being Idolaters', he himself looked to the sky and took the path of worshiping a single God.
Sheikh Abdul Salam El Bassyouni from the editing and Translation department of Fanar urged communities not to nurture hatred among the young generations through using religion for political gains. Most religious differences prevalent in communities that often lead to violence were cultivated not as teachings of specific religions but as programmes with political agendas and people should be wary of whoever wanted to cultivate Fitina among communities, he said.
El Bassyouni also said that he had lived in Qatar for about 30 years, half of his life so far and he was grateful to see the country making efforts to bring together people of different religions through channels like dialogue and respect. "There is no religious discrimination in Qatar, all people of different religions live together in peace and prosperity," he declared.
Fr Bisanty Anba Bishoy, the president of Christian Churches Steering committee read verses from the Bible and holy Quran to explain how moral values were very important in our communities. He said that enhancing these moral values was a work supposed to start with the families at home, the old showing respect to the young and vice versa. Then these morals should be taught in schools, places of worship like mosques and churches and finally into the media, which has proved to be the most powerful instrument of our times, he said.
Dr Aisha Al Mannai, the vice chair-Board of directors for DCID said that this round table theme "harnessing moral values for our times" had been chosen to enhance the importance of values in communities and also serve as reminder that these values have to adhered to.
R Setheearman the Chief Executive Officer of Doha bank warned communities of abandoning core values as this will have more repercussions and said that the economic crisis which had started as a result of abandoning economic values was now a human crisis.
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