Tehran to Host 13th Islam, Russian Orthodox Church Dialogue
The Islamic Culture and Relations Organization’s Center for Dialogue of Religions and Cultures will hold the event in partnership with the Department of Foreign Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, and the Iranian Cultural Center in Moscow.
According to ICRO’s public relations office, the main topic of this round of dialogue has been determined to be “the responsibility of the leaders and followers of the religions of Islam and Orthodox Christianity in facing contemporary challenges”.
The high-ranking delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church consists of 12 members, headed by Metropolitan Anthony, Head of the Department for External Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, along with Metropolitan Cyril, Metropolitan of Kazan and Tatarstan, and Bishop Nikolai Balashov, Advisor to the Supreme Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, and a group of clergy, researchers, and church officials.
The opening ceremony will be held on Tuesday morning, November 11, with a speech by ICRO Chief Hojat-ol-Islam Mohammad Mehdi Imanipour, who also heads the Policy-Making and Coordination Council for Interfaith Dialogue of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
In his speech at the ceremony, Ali Akbar Ziaei, Head of the Center for Dialogue of Religions and Cultures, will look back at the past relations with the Russian Orthodox Church and explain the future horizons of these dialogues.
The unveiling of the Persian translation of the book “Freedom and Responsibility” written by Cyril will be the final part of the opening ceremony.
The 13th round is divided into 3 sections, in which scholars from Iran and Russia will present their papers on the main topic of the discussion.
On the sidelines of this round of discussions, a specialized meeting has also been planned in cooperation with the Faculty of Theology of Shahid Beheshti University, in which several experts from Iran and the Russian Church delegation will express their views on the topic of “Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Religions”.
The meeting will be in continuation of 12 rounds of religious dialogues between Islam and Russian Orthodox Christianity, which have been held in Iran and Russia for three decades with the aim of developing understanding, deepening and strengthening friendship between the two nations, and cooperating in solving various problems and challenges of the contemporary world.
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This round of discussions will be held with a focus on ethical and social issues in today’s world, and participants will exchange views on five sub-topics: The responsibility of religious leaders and followers in dealing with artificial intelligence and emphasizing the development of ethical standards in the use of new technologies; The responsibility of religious leaders and followers in dealing with cyberspace and the role of religion in promoting media literacy and curbing digital harms; Supporting women and families and explaining their central position in strengthening human values; The challenges of youth in the contemporary world and the responsibility of religions in strengthening their identity, hope, and social participation; Supporting the oppressed in today’s world, And the role of religious leaders in confronting discrimination, violence, and injustice.
According to the planning, the final statement of the meeting will be signed in Tehran on November 14 in the presence of the heads of the two delegations.
Several sideline programs have been planned for the high-ranking delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church during their short stay in Iran, including visiting several museums, the Hazrat Maryam (SA) metro station in Tehran, and participating in the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the founding of the St. Nicholas Church in the Iranian capital.
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