A pro-tolerance conference was hosted in Abu Dhabi this week, featuring participants from different religions and backgrounds, calling to promote dialogue and peace in times of war.
This is the second consecutive year that the event, known as the International Dialogue of Civilizations & Tolerance Conference (IDCT), has taken place in the UAE’s capital.
According to the conference’s organizers, the event aimed to convene experts from academia, politics, and other sectors to address the ‘core issues at the heart of civilizational dialogue.’
Held under the sponsorship of Emirati Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan and the Emirates Scholar Center for Research and Studies, the list of speakers included, among many others, leader of the Druze community in Israel, Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, peace activist Imam Hassen Chalghoumi, Executive Director of the Ohr Torah Interfaith Center Rabbi Yakov Nagen, and primary General President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
A special entertainment session was delivered during the conference by Israeli musician Dudu Tassa and Radiohead guitarist Johnny Greenwood with musicians from across the Middle East, as part of their tour dubbed ‘Jarak Qaribak’ (‘Your Neighbor is Your Relative’ in Arabic).
The Jerusalem Post reached out to two participants, one Emirati and one Israeli, to hear more about the special event.
Amjad Taha: 'In my country antisemitism is not an opinion - it’s a crime’
Amjad Taha, a political strategist and analyst from the UAE, is a prominent Emirati figure known for his pro-peace activism and being outspoken against extremist ideologies, with many TV appearances and articles on media outlets in the US, the UK, and the Arab world.
Taha is also the author of ‘The Deception’ and has an upcoming book named ‘Philosophy of Peace,’ and he was invited to speak at the conference.
In a conversation with the Post, Taha lauded the event, mentioning this was the second time it was held and deeming it “a premier platform for global dialogue, aiming to navigate diverse values and norms, proving that meaningful dialogue is not just possible – but essential – for shaping innovative solutions to today’s global challenges.”
WHEN ASKED if such a conference could have taken place in Western countries, Taha sighed.
“I wish I could say yes, but the honest answer is no. Western civilization, in recent years, has tolerated intolerance – harboring and even legitimizing groups like Hamas, ISIS, and Hezbollah while allowing antisemitism to grow at an alarming rate,” he replied.
“In the UAE, an Orthodox Jew can walk freely, wearing a kippah, without fear. In contrast, doing the same in places like the West Midlands in the UK or Western Sydney could invite harassment or violence. That is the difference,” Taha argued.
“In my country, antisemitism and all forms of racism are not opinions – they are crimes,” he continued. “The Muslim Brotherhood, whose military wing includes Hamas, is banned. Meanwhile, in the West, the Brotherhood operates freely, often under the guise of charities which have been linked to funding terrorism in the Middle East.”
Taha praised the UAE for fostering what he dubbed “true coexistence,” adding that his home country “upholds tolerance as a principle, not just a slogan. It does not tolerate those who weaponize freedom to spread hate and violence. That is why events like this can flourish here – because dialogue must be protected from those who seek to destroy it.”
One especially moving moment that took place during the conference happened when Taha called to begin one of the sessions with a moment of silence in memory of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas, who were murdered by Gazan citizens over a year ago after being kidnapped from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023.
“When the Holocaust unfolded, some participated, some celebrated, some denied, and some saved Jewish lives,” Taha explained thoughtfully.
“On October 7, history repeated itself – not just in horror but in the choices people made. I, like many, choose to stand with the innocent – with the babies and women, not the masked cowards too afraid to show their faces, yet unafraid to terrorize a child like Ariel or silence Kfir’s cries for help.
History will not forgive those who stood with kidnappers and murderers. But it will remember, with unwavering clarity, those who stood for the father who lost his wife and children to the vile terrorists of Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.”
Taha continued: “The Bibas family’s story will never be forgotten and will be remembered every year. Shame will follow anyone who protested in NYC, London, Paris, or Toronto supporting Hamas. History will not forget,” he added, accusing those who sided with Hamas: “You looked away. You excused it. You marched for the killers, not the victims. The blood of that baby cries out from the ground. It will haunt you forever.”
When asked about the prospects of real religious dialogue, Taha replied: “The Middle East stands at a crossroads between two visions. One, like the UAE, invests in knowledge, sending its brightest minds to the world’s top universities, reaching Mars, and now setting sights on the Moon. The other, tragically, digs tunnels – not for progress, but to abduct an eight-month-old child. At this event, we brought together voices from Israel, Palestine, Syria, Persians, Druze, Jews, Christians, and people from Afghanistan, Britain, and America. We proved that through knowledge, we rise. Through dialogue, not war, we overcome. Together, we don’t just endure – we thrive.”
Chen Kupperman: Dialogue begins with language
“THE CONFERENCE is first and foremost an Emirati conference,” said Chen Kupperman, Executive Director of Blend.Ar, an organization that teaches Arabic and Hebrew language and culture and promotes relations between Jews and Arabs in Israel and the Middle East.
“This conference was very important for the UAE, to promote values that they view as important. The goal of the UAE is to be a leading center in the Middle East for tolerance and for connecting cultures, and this is a noble and important goal,” he continued.
Kupperman also commended the young Emiratis he had met, who chose to dedicate their life to promote tolerance in the Middle East. “It gave me a lot of hope,” he added.
For Kupperman, an Israeli Jew who speaks fluent Arabic, this was a natural setting.
He pointed out the importance of carrying out the conference in times of wars and challenges, commending the hosts of the conference and reminding them that the last one was convened in 2024, not long after October 7, but it took place nevertheless.
Kupperman also referred to the situation in Western countries: “Many Arabs I’ve met at the conference who live in the West have said that Western countries are, in some ways, ‘losing it’ and have become dangerous places for moderate worldviews, with the surge of extremist Islamist elements. We met an imam who had to hide his children, change their names, and wear a vest, all because of his views that call for moderation. It’s an absurd situation.”
When asked about the prospects of religious dialogue in his view, Kupperman opined: “We should always start with interlingual and intercultural dialogues, and only then can we talk about interreligious dialogue. In order to create a different future here, we must connect civilizations, which is at the heart of this conference.
The civilizations of Arabs and Jews in the Middle East consist of sister languages and cultures that have a lot in common. We also need to recognize the differences between us, and this will help to build trust and cooperation.”
In Kupperman’s view, dialogue is “a profession or an area of expertise, just like driving or writing. We need people with this expertise in Israel, and that is also what we’re trying to achieve,” he added, referring to his initiative to teach Arabic and Hebrew and create intercultural and linguistic understanding.
Kupperman told of a personal account that happened during his trip to Abu Dhabi, when a non-Jewish member of the party accompanied them to the Abrahamic Family House’s synagogue and opened a Siddur (Jewish prayer book).
“He told me that this was the first time he had seen this book and added that ‘there’s nothing here about killing or anything – only love and peace.’ He was very moved, and for me, too, it was the most moving part of this trip.”
“When we learn about each other and get to know each other in depth, we will be able to create meaningful connections that can move the region forward and create a better future for all of us,” Kupperman concluded.