Doha being a venue for dialogue, cultures and openness to civilizations, is also renowned for its role in promoting peace and stability and working tirelessly to bring warring parties on negotiation table to give dialogue a chance for ending conflicts. As dialogue is not limited to parties engaged in conflicts, rather it expands to include culture and other wide ranges of fields which the State of Qatar gives high priority.
Taking into account the ancient history and legacy of the State of Qatar, its Islamic character and Arab and Islamic identity has made Doha the best choice to be ‘Capital of Culture in the Islamic World for the year 2021’. It is the year where Doha will also host the Qatar-USA 2021 Year of Culture.
‘Doha Capital of Culture in the Islamic World 2021’ will kick off on March 8 and will be hosted under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture and Sports, in cooperation with the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and Qatar National Commission for Education, Culture and Science.
Other ministries such as the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, along with other partners including Qatar Foundation, Qatar Museums, and the Cultural Village Foundation – Katara will also play a key role in the year-long activities.
Doha hosts annually activities that introduces culture of one of the countries in the world to promote cultural dialogue and help understanding similarities and differences of cultures to lay foundation for openness and communications. It is natural to see Doha being a capital of culture and its selection for hosting Islamic cultural events will enhance the bonds of friendship and mutual respect between people of Islamic nations.
Qatar today is home to nationals from around 100 countries of the world, and this means hosting events and activities promoting Islamic values and heritages, is an opportunity to highlight and introduce these cultures to these cultural and linguistic diversities. Selection of Doha by ICESCO to be the Capital of Culture in the Islamic World for this year also means that Doha fulfills all conditions, standards and requirements to host an array of events which will represent the Arab region.
Doha’s historic heritage and a wide scientific, cultural and sports hosting reputation has made the city one of the most preferred for cultural and humanitarian events that promote common human values and provide with platforms for cultural dialogue between nations.
Doha’s role will remain significant in the arena of peace making, promoting dialogue, openness, respect of human dignity to inspire new generations to understand global cultures as cultural diversity is an added value for them regardless to which country they belong or which culture they come from.
