Over 13 Global Participations – Muslim Council of Elders Turns Book Fairs into Bridges of Cultural Understanding and Platforms for Dialogue in 2025
Throughout 2025, the Muslim Council of Elders strengthened its cultural and intellectual presence around the world through active participation in numerous international book fairs. These efforts reflect the Council’s mission and its role in promoting peace, spreading the values of moderation, coexistence, tolerance, and dialogue, and reinforcing the principles of human fraternity in the face of a rapidly changing world.
The Council’s participation in thirteen major fairs attracted significant attention from visitors, researchers, thought leaders, cultural figures, and officials. These engagements included organizing cultural meetings and intellectual discussions aimed at raising awareness of shared human values and reaffirming the role of knowledge in promoting peace and countering extremism, fanaticism, hatred, and Islamophobia.
In 2025, the Council took part in book fairs in Cairo, New Delhi, Lahore, Erbil, Tunis, Rabat, the Istanbul Arabic Book Fair, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, the America International Arabic Book Fair, the Indonesia Islamic Book Fair, Alexandria, and Iraq. Each participation featured diverse cultural and intellectual programs, including dozens of seminars and dialogue sessions addressing a wide range of intellectual, cultural, literary, and religious issues. Discussions focused on values of tolerance and coexistence, Intra–Islamic dialogue, the role of youth and women in peacebuilding, and the development of enlightened religious, cultural, and educational discourse while also emphasizing the ethical and responsible use of artificial intelligence in serving humanity and society, alongside special activities dedicated to youth, women, and children.
The Council’s global book fair engagements earned several awards and honors, including the Best Pavilion Award at the Jakarta Islamic Book Fair for the third consecutive year, and the Outstanding Partnership Award at the America International Arabic Book Fair. Additionally, the Muslim Council of Elders’ pavilion at the Karachi International Book Fair was recognized as a distinguished international participant by Syed Sardar Ali Shah, Minister of Education for Sindh Province. Organizers of the Cairo International Book Fair and the Istanbul Arabic Book Fair also honored the Council’s pavilion in appreciation of its efforts to promote knowledge and coexistence.
The Muslim Council of Elders’ participation in global book fairs forms part of a clear strategy aimed at transforming culture and knowledge into bridges of understanding between peoples and platforms for fostering reasoned and wise discourse in a world marked by rapid transformations and growing challenges.
