Doha: Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) hosted Fr. Victor Assouad, a Syrian Christian whose family migrated to Lebanon and who has lived and worked throughout the region, to give a keynote address ‘Jesuit Education in the Arab World Context’.
Fr. Victor discussed promoting interfaith dialogue between Muslims and Christians, institutional ties in the Middle East through education, and providing relief for Syrian refugees.
Addressing students, faculty and staff, Fr. Victor shared priorities of the Jesuits in the Middle East and the Maghreb and said, “As Jesuits, we seek to encourage dialogue and interfaith exchange. I believe that when we are open to dialogue, it’s something that will make us all grow from both sides, it benefits both sides. We give the best of what we have, and we receive the best of what the other has, so it’s always a rich experience to be open to others.”
On other priorities of their work in the region, he said, “We want to contribute to building civil society and supporting values of human dignity, and we want to work for reconciliation and peace in the region, which is the birthplace of the three great monotheistic faiths — Islam, Christianity and Judaism.”
He also spoke about their university in Beirut. St. Joseph’s is one of Lebanon’s largest universities with about 12,000 students.
He said Université Saint Joseph Law School’s Dubai branch campus was a perfect fit to train students in the region because it provides teaching in English and Arabic.
A lunchtime presentation the day before included a slide show of projects in the Arab world that encourage education, interfaith exchange and give attention to marginalised communities.
They included a vocational workshop in Egypt that provides economic opportunities for the poor and a soup kitchen in Aleppo, Syria, run by three Jesuits and volunteers, that provides 60,000 refugees with daily meals.
“The situation today in Syria is dramatic. It’s a priority today to just feed starving people,” he said.
The keynote address was part of an annual programme, Jesuit Heritage Week, which celebrates the university’s Jesuit heritage with the founding of the main campus in Washington DC in 1789.
Other activities included an interfaith prayer, the screening of a movie and a presentation ‘We are all equal in His eyes’ by Amal, a GU-Q student-led group that promotes accessibility for those with special needs.
The Peninsula
