about us

About DICID: A Historical Background:

Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue (DICID) is a Qatar-based institution dedicated to interfaith dialogue, intercultural cooperation, and capacity building.

The State of Qatar, represented in DICID, believes that the process of nation-building is based on cooperation and respect among the various components of society to ensure social harmony and constructive interaction among different faiths, cultures, and races both, locally and globally. Qatar thus plays a leading role in rapprochement, multiculturalism and advocacy for peace and strives to realize these values throughout the world.

Qatar is a country that stands for religious, cultural and ethnic diversity. In due course Qatar fully supported the principle of dialogue between the followers of revealed religions. As a result of that, the first interfaith conference in Doha was held in 2003 under the kind guidance of His Highness the Father Emir, Sheikh Hamad Ben Khalifa Al-Thani. Since then, an idea to held annual conference between the followers of the three monotheistic religions, namely, Islam, Christianity and Judaism, was established with the aim of creating a constructive dialogue among the followers of these religions and to bring about better understanding of principles and teachings these religions convey for benefit and servitude of all humanity.

Having established all necessary foundation within the government policy towards interfaith dialogue, Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue was founded in May 2007 with its Qatari board of directors and an international advisory board, including scholars from the three monotheistic religions.

The Center (DICID) since then has identified various means to achieve its goals. The most important of these are annual conferences, roundtable discussions for local communities, and training courses for youth, teachers, women, social activists, and others, both in Qatar and abroad. The center also conducts scientific research in collaboration with researchers from leading universities and research centers across the globe. To achieve its goals, DICID also promotes publications that contribute to peace-building, and dialogue, creating an environment of acceptance and shaping a balanced and moderate mindset that recognizes pluralism and works to improve coexistence. These publications can be found in ADYAN’s peer-reviewed journal “Religions,” the regular newsletter, translations, and selected papers.

In June 2010, the Amiri Decree No. 20 approved the establishment of Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue to support and promote the culture of interfaith dialogue, and peaceful coexistence among religious adherents, as well as the activation of religious values to solve issues and problems affecting humanity.

The decision to establish the center was warmly welcomed by religious scholars, researchers and academics interested in dialogue and cooperation among different religions, civilizations and cultures. Faith leaders and activists praised the decision, believing that the establishment of the center will contribute to the efforts to build bridges of cooperation and understanding among followers of different religions, civilizations and cultures around the world. It would help create an environment of peace and justice, and reduce existing tensions, ignorance, and infiltration of extremists who foment hatred among people.