In early July 2026, the CSR-CMR chairman participated in a Christian-Muslim international symposium, serving as a discussant and session moderator for the Asian cluster. The conference was held in Cairo, Egypt, and was organized by the Network of Centers for Christian–Muslim Relations (NCCMR), under the theme “The Future of Christian–Muslim Relations: Prospects and Challenges.” This symposium was co-organized with the Center of Christian–Muslim Understanding and Partnership, the Dominican Institute for Oriental Studies, and the Center for Middle Eastern Christianity.
In the conference, the CSR-CMR chairman presented a paper in response to the papers of Martin Accad (President of the Near East School of Theology, Lebanon) and Sara Shaltout from the University of St. Andrews, UK, in a panel on History of Christian-Muslim Relations. The panel was moderated by Muhammad Nasir Johari, the head of the Harmony Center, Singapore.
Additionally, the CSR-CMR chairman also served as a moderator in a session under the theme The Future of Christian-Muslim Relations: The Asian Context, featuring two distinguished scholars: Professor Amr Al-Hafi from the Royal Institute for Interfaith Studies, Jordan, and Professor Julkipli Wadi from the Institute of Islamic Studies, University of the Philippines.
“In a time where Christians and Muslims across the globe are often involved in high tensions, sectarian conflict, or even communal violence in many societies and countries, as well as due to the spread of Islamophobia and Christianophobia, such a conference is highly needed and deserves appreciation,” said the CSR-CMR chairman.
Shaltout’s paper overviews the thoughts and practices of two noted nineteenth-century Egyptian religious reformers, Muhammad Abduh (1849-1905) and Pope Kyrillos IV (1816-1861), particularly regarding women’s roles and education, stating that both figures emphasized the significance of women and education in society’s moral and communal renewal. Rather than depicting Islamic and Coptic reforms in schooling and women’s roles as distinct developments, the paper argues that both emerged as products of, or as part of, a broader reconfiguration of religious thought in response to multiple factors, most notably colonial modernity and Western Christian (Protestant) missionary work. The two reforms also responded to the pressures, demands, and opportunities of Western (European and American) presence and its educational and theological models.
Accad’s paper, furthermore, focuses on three key topics: (1) the role of interpretation in theological development, (2) the historical formation of Christian-Muslim discourse, and (3) the promise of hermeneutics for overcoming theological deadlocks. Accad understands dialogue not only as a relational exchange but also as an intellectual exchange. Accad argues that although dialogue, as a means of building friendship and relationships (say, the dialogue of life, for example, via potluck), is significant, this model of dialogue is insufficient to build genuine and sustainable Christian-Muslim relations.
The paper underscores the need to go beyond conventional or practical models of interreligious dialogue, moving toward theological/intellectual dialogue with the goal not of achieving theological agreement but of achieving theological understanding. It also underlines the need for Christians and Muslims to move beyond both polemics and superficial coexistence. Accad argues that theological misunderstandings are often rooted not merely in doctrinal differences but in differing methods of interpretation.
Accad suggests that, in this increasingly interconnected world, the future of Christian–Muslim relations may depend on more than only friendship and cooperation. Religious communities must be willing to “engage difficult theological questions with intellectual humility and mutual respect.” Moreover, they also have to move ‘from religious monologue to genuine dialogue,’ a “dialogue grounded in history, informed by careful interpretation, and oriented toward a more constructive shared future.”
According to the organizing committee, around 100 participants representing more than 29 institutions (including CSR-CMR) in 19 countries from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and North America attended the symposium. The participants included scholars, university leaders, directors of Christian–Muslim relations centers, religious authorities, peacebuilders, and practitioners. They all reflected on the future of Christian–Muslim relations in a rapidly changing world.
The NCCMR Director, Rev. Dr. Wageeh Mikhail, welcomed participants and reaffirmed his institution’s commitment to strengthening Christian–Muslim relations through scholarship, partnership, and practical cooperation. Dr. Mikhail reminded participants that meetings between Christians and Muslims are not a modern invention or innovation but part of a long tradition extending back to the earliest centuries of Christian–Muslim encounter.
Distinguished representatives of Egypt’s Christian and Muslim leaders gave keynote addresses in the opening ceremony. They included Rev. Dr. Samy Fawzy Shehata (Archbishop of Alexandria and Diocesan Bishop of Egypt), His Grace Bishop Armia (Head of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center), Dr. Andrea Zaki (President of the Protestant Churches of Egypt), Sheikh Dr. Ahmed Mamdouh Saad (from the office of the Grand Mufti of Egypt), Dr. Mohamed El-Gendy (from the the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar), and Sheikh Dr. El-Sayed Hussein Abdel Bari (from the Egyptian Minister of Awqaf).
Moreover, the opening keynote was delivered by Msgr. Dr. Michael Nazir-Ali, President of the Oxford Center for Training, Research, Advocacy and Dialogue. Nazir-Ali’s keynote examined the historical and theological foundations necessary for strengthening Christian–Muslim relations and encouraged participants to combine rigorous scholarship with practical engagement.
The symposium featured three plenary panels. The first panel, under the topic “History of Christian–Muslim Relations,” explored the historical perspectives of Christian-Muslim encounters that might offer lessons for future fruitful dialogue between the two religious communities. The second panel, “Christian–Muslim Dialogue and Peacebuilding,” discussed experiences of reconciliation, mediation, and practical cooperation from Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. The last panel, under the heading “Inter- and Intra-faith Solidarity,” explored contemporary global challenges for Christian-Muslim relations and dialogue while emphasizing the need for strengthening dialogue within their respective religious communities.
The symposium concluded its academic program with simultaneous regional conversations focusing on Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Conducted in French, English, and Arabic, these particular sessions addressed the distinctive challenges facing each region while affirming the importance of global collaboration and shared learning.