The Christian–Muslim Center for Understanding and Partnership organized today a symposium titled “The Ethics of Dialogue: From Thought to Reality,” in collaboration with the Arab Evangelical Cultural Center and Al-Azhar University.
The event was attended by Archbishop Dr. Samy Fawzy, Primate of the Anglican Episcopal Province of Alexandria; Archbishop Dr. Mouneer Hanna, Director of the Christian–Muslim Center and Honorary Archbishop; Dr. Maher Samuel, founder of the Arab Evangelical Cultural Center and consultant psychiatrist with a PhD in philosophy and religion from Trinity University; and Dr. Ismail Abdullah, Head of the Department of Islamic Studies in Foreign Languages at Al-Azhar University.
Archbishop Samy Fawzy opened the symposium, which comes as part of the church’s commitment to promoting a culture of dialogue and mutual understanding. In his address, he affirmed that the Episcopal Church enjoys a strong partnership with Al-Azhar based on mutual respect and shared work to promote peace, coexistence, and acceptance of others within society.
The discussions focused on several key themes: the challenges hindering dialogue between Christians and Muslims, the philosophy and meaning of dialogue from both perspectives, the role of dialogue in community building, and dialogue in shaping national identity.
This symposium aimed to deepen understanding of the comprehensive meaning of dialogue and its role in restoring trust and strengthening the social and national fabric. From both Islamic and Christian viewpoints, the event went beyond mere coexistence to explore how both faiths can journey together in facing common challenges — transforming them into opportunities for dialogue, compassion, and constructive humanitarian action.
Among the speakers were faculty members from Al-Azhar University’s Faculty of Languages and Translation — Dr. Mokhtar Abdullah, Dr. Abdullah Abidin, and Dr. El-Sayed Zakaria — along with Rev. Dr. Friedmann Eisler, Head of Christian–Muslim Dialogue at the Lutheran Church in Germany; Dr. Henning Wrogemann, Head of the Department of Religious Studies at Wuppertal University; and Hossam Hashmat, researcher in Christian–Muslim relations and founding member of the Arab Evangelical Cultural Center.
The event was also attended by Bishop Dr. Yasser Eric; Rev. Emad Basilius, pastor of St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Heliopolis; Rev. Dr. Matthew Anderson, Head of Academic Studies at the Christian–Muslim Center; and Rev. Samir Dawood, Director of Community Initiatives at the Christian–Muslim Center.