DOHA: Latin American countries could become close partners of Islamic countries in finding solutions to international issues, says an expert.
Islamic countries, especially in the Middle East, including Qatar, can make more active relationships with Latin American countries, Susana Mangana, Chair, Islam and the Arab World, Department of Humanistic Education, Universidad Católica del Uruguay, told this daily.
Mangana visited Qatar for the 12th Doha Interfaith Conference held last week under the theme ‘Spiritual and Intellectual Safety in the Light Religious Doctrines.’
“Islamic countries need to be more aggressive to reach out to Latin American countries because they can be close partners when it comes to international agenda, like at the UN they can find corporation,” she said.
“How we can stop the Syrian conflict? How we can fight the refugee crises? We need a bridge between the West and the east, especially the Muslim countries…
“Latin America is an opportunity for Muslim countries where they can find a Western culture but very friendly and very open to dialogue with Islam,” she added.
Mangana teaches courses on the culture of Islamic world and the Middle East.
Along with the central themes of religion, thought and philosophy, the university offers the study of the Arabic language, art or folk customs as a way to build bridges to the Islamic civilisation whose contributions enriched the cultural heritage of the West.
“The more we are exposed to similar things, we hold on to our beliefs, we hold on to our traditions. So we need to teach our future generations not only learn to live with the difference but enjoy it. Then only we are going to see that violence is reduced.
“One tends to be violent verbally when they don’t know what the other is talking about. Ignorance works against peace and stability,” Mangana said.
There are different degrees of ignorance in South America and Latin America about Middle Eastern countries, and ignorance can be fought only through education, according to her.
“At academic level there was a vacuum before the Middle East was not felt as a field to study but the interest has increased during the past decade,” she said.
Mangana said the conference was a very unique and positive experience, especially because came from a Arab and Islamic country.The Peninsula
DOHA: Latin American countries could become close partners of Islamic countries in finding solutions to international issues, says an expert.
Islamic countries, especially in the Middle East, including Qatar, can make more active relationships with Latin American countries, Susana Mangana, Chair, Islam and the Arab World, Department of Humanistic Education, Universidad Católica del Uruguay, told this daily.
Mangana visited Qatar for the 12th Doha Interfaith Conference held last week under the theme ‘Spiritual and Intellectual Safety in the Light Religious Doctrines.’
“Islamic countries need to be more aggressive to reach out to Latin American countries because they can be close partners when it comes to international agenda, like at the UN they can find corporation,” she said.
“How we can stop the Syrian conflict? How we can fight the refugee crises? We need a bridge between the West and the east, especially the Muslim countries…
“Latin America is an opportunity for Muslim countries where they can find a Western culture but very friendly and very open to dialogue with Islam,” she added.
Mangana teaches courses on the culture of Islamic world and the Middle East.
Along with the central themes of religion, thought and philosophy, the university offers the study of the Arabic language, art or folk customs as a way to build bridges to the Islamic civilisation whose contributions enriched the cultural heritage of the West.
“The more we are exposed to similar things, we hold on to our beliefs, we hold on to our traditions. So we need to teach our future generations not only learn to live with the difference but enjoy it. Then only we are going to see that violence is reduced.
“One tends to be violent verbally when they don’t know what the other is talking about. Ignorance works against peace and stability,” Mangana said.
There are different degrees of ignorance in South America and Latin America about Middle Eastern countries, and ignorance can be fought only through education, according to her.
“At academic level there was a vacuum before the Middle East was not felt as a field to study but the interest has increased during the past decade,” she said.
Mangana said the conference was a very unique and positive experience, especially because came from a Arab and Islamic country.The Peninsula
