Interfaith Cooperation at the Heart of Georgetown Program

Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) recently hosted Victor Assouad, a Syrian Christian whose family migrated to Lebanon and who has lived and worked throughout the region, to give a keynote address titled “Jesuit Education in the Arab World Context”, where he discussed promoting interfaith dialogue between Muslims and Christians, institutional ties in the Middle East through education, and providing relief for Syrian refugees.

Speaking to an audience of students, faculty and staff, Fr. Victor shared the priorities of the Jesuits in the Middle East and the Maghreb, saying: “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.”

Commenting on the other priorities of their work in the region, he added: “We want  to contribute to building civil society and supporting the many 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 shared details about their university in Beirut. St. Joseph’s is one of Lebanon’s largest universities at 12,000 students. Fr. Victor explained that the Université Saint Joseph Law School’s Dubai branch campus was a perfect fit to train students in the region because they are able to provide both English and Arabic language instruction.

A special lunchtime presentation the day before included a slide show of the many projects in the Arab world that encourage education, interfaith exchange and give special attention to marginalized communities. Some examples included a vocational workshop in Egypt that provides economic opportunities to the poor and a soup kitchen in Aleppo, Syria, run by 3 Jesuits and a host of volunteers that provide 60,000 refugees with daily meals. “The situation today in Syria is dramatic. It’s a priority today to just feed starving people,” said Victor.

The keynote address was part of an annual week long program called Jesuit Heritage Week (JHW), which celebrates the university’s Jesuit heritage with the founding of the main campus in Washington D.C. in 1789.  Some of the other activities that were included in the week long schedule was an interfaith prayer, a movie screening, and a presentation titled “We are all equal in His eyes” by Amal, a GU-Q student-led group that promotes accessibility for those with special needs.

Victor Assouad joined the Jesuit order in 1982, and in 2008, he was appointed Provincial Superior of the Jesuits in the Middle East, which included Lebanon, Syria, Egypt and Turkey, Algeria and Morocco. He is currently preparing to take on the position of heading the Campus Ministry at the Jesuit’s Saint-Joseph University in Beirut, one of Lebanon’s largest universities. The Jesuit society is known throughout the world for their work in education through the founding and running of schools, colleges, universities and seminaries, as well as for promoting intellectual research and cultural activities. They are also affiliated with providing aid and assistance to promote social justice and serve the underprivileged.