The Muslim Council of Elders’ pavilion at the Cairo International Book Fair 2024 presents the book “Proceedings of the International Symposium – Islam and the West: Diversity and Integration.” This conference was held by Al-Azhar in partnership with the Muslim Council of Elders from October 22 to 24, 2018. The book, part of the Muslim Council of Elders’ publications, showcases the insights from distinguished scholars, experts, and leaders from the Muslim and Western worlds.
The conference aimed to provide a platform for these individuals to share their perspectives and thoughts on the complex and extensive topic of Islam and the West. The insights presented in this book contribute to enhancing the mutual understanding between the two parties, helping them navigate the challenges they collectively face.
The book also emphasizes that Islam is a comprehensive message directed to all of humanity and serves as the culmination of divine revelation sent from the heavens to the earth as a mercy to the worlds. Islam, with its universal and eternal nature, rapidly spread across geographical boundaries in history. Within a single generation of the Prophet’s mission, Islam had reached from the Arabian Peninsula to the important cultural and political centers of the time, such as the Levant, becoming the dominant force across a vast area stretching from China to southern France within a century.
The book highlights the pressing need for insightful reflection from wise scholars, experts in the field, and those with perspectives on the issues surrounding the relationship between Islam and the West today. The interconnected destinies of the two civilizational realms necessitate ongoing dialogue, the promotion of understanding, the identification of common ground, and maximizing opportunities for cooperation in the face of shared challenges.
The content of the book includes the proceedings of the conference’s various sessions, covering topics such as the evolution of the relationship between Islam and the West, the tension between Muslims and other Europeans, citizenship as a solution, nationalism, populism, the status of religion, demographics, ideology, migration, the future, religious dialogue, societal dialogue, points of agreement, points of disagreement, and the content and style of religious education.
The Muslim Council of Elders’ pavilion at the Cairo International Book Fair features a diverse collection of publications, along with a series of seminars, activities, and events focused on promoting the values of peace, and mutual coexistence among all humanity.
The pavilion is located alongside the Al-Azhar pavilion in Hall 4 at the Egypt International Exhibition and Conference Center in the Fifth Settlement in Cairo.