The Abu Dhabi Document: A Christian-Islamic Appeal for Peace for a Better World

In February 2019, Pope Francis made history: he became the first pope ever to set foot on the Arabian Peninsula—a visit of enormous symbolic significance. In Abu Dhabi, he met with the Grand Sheikh of the renowned Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Aḥmad aṭ-Ṭayyib. Together, they signed a groundbreaking manifesto: The ‘Document on Human Fraternity’—a passionate call for peace, tolerance and mutual respect between religions.

This ‘Abu Dhabi Document’ is more than just an appeal—it is an interfaith milestone. It calls for the challenges of our time to be met with united ethical and spiritual forces: hunger, poverty, war and moral decay affect all people—regardless of religion or origin.

In this lecture, we take an in-depth look at this important paper—from both a Christian and an Islamic perspective. How does the document fit into the broader context of interfaith dialogue? What opportunities does it open up for peaceful coexistence? And what questions does it raise?

Organizer: Kultur- und Förderverein e.V. Leutenbach in cooperation with the KEB- Katholische Erwachsenenbildung BA-FO-ERH e.V.

Speakers: Ramy Abdin, M.A., and Jan Gehm, M.A. (BaFID)