Manama: Religious leaders around the world should join together to address the problems facing humanity, an interfaith conference in Doha has said.
The eighth annual Doha conference on interfaith dialogue said deterioration in family and social values is a major threat that warrants joint global efforts, regardless of religion.
This year's conference held under the theme of ‘Raising the New Generation with a foundation of values and tradition: Religious Perspectives' focused on the influence of the family, the role of educational institutions, and how the media and modern technology has influenced this generation.
The three-day conference, organised by the Doha International Centre for Interfaith Dialogue (DICID) was attended by Islamic, Christian and Jewish religious figures.
In his opening speech, Hassan Bin Abdullah Al Ghanem, Qatar's justice minister, said the conference remained committed to building cooperation between cultures through dialogue and achieving greater understanding amongst religions.
However, Al Ghanem cautioned that the interfaith dialogue faced difficult challenges as a result of global developments.
"These challenges cannot be overcome without real solidarity between all religions," he said.
According to the minister, the family has a unique role to play in a person's social, political and religious development and is the first source to satisfy the individual's psychological needs, the Qatar News Agency reported.
