The international webinar conference organized by the Faculty of Religions and Human Sciences at Al Maaref University, titled “Challenges of Western Civilization: Arabic and Islamic Approaches”, was concluded on Saturday, with the participation of researchers from Lebanon and several Arab and Islamic countries.

The opening speech of Al Maaref University‘s President, Prof. Ali Alaeddine, was delivered on his behalf by the Vice President, Dr. Jalal Jomaa, who welcomed both researchers and participants of the webinar and continued to say, “Al Maaref University continues and insists on undertaking the great mission of mastering life with wisdom and knowledge, which has been granted a wide area of interest at the level of its curriculums, seminars, and conferences that it held, starting with its first international conference, “Towards a Culture of Dialogue Between Religions” and then its second one, “Culturalization of Humanities: Perspectives and Experiences” and its third, “Challenges of Western Civilization - Arabic and Islamic Approaches”, which represents an added value in the role of the open dialogue with the self and the other, stressing the importance of collaborative efforts of thinkers and decision-makers at the regional and global levels. He also pointed out the necessity of aspiring towards a civilized model based on the values of justice, tolerance, and respect for mankind.

For his part, the conference coordinator and The Academic and Scientific Advisor of the university, Dr. Talal Atrissi, stressed that “the world has changed and is no longer a platform for monolithic and stereotyped statements imported from the West to embrace and imitate them. This model is no longer divine in the eyes of Muslims and Arabs, nor in the eyes of other people around the world as well.” However, “The goal of this conference is to search for critical, civilized and humanitarian alternatives,” he added.

The conference was divided into three main sessions in span of two days, Friday and Saturday, 5 and 6 of March. The first session was held under the title: “Understanding the West”, chaired by the Dean of the Faculty of Religions and Human Sciences at Al Maaref University, Dr. Hadi Fadlallah, and included three basic research interventions that dealt with the following topics:

- The Intellectual and Philosophical Establishment of the West, presented by HE Dr. Habibullah Babaei (Iran)
- Western Hegemony, Hard Power presented by Dr. Jassim Hariri (Iraq)
- The Soft Power of Subjugation, presented by Mr. Hadi Kobeissi (Lebanon)

On the next day, a second session was held, entitled: “Islamic Trends in Understanding the West”, chaired by the Associate Dean of the Faculty of Religions and Human Sciences at Al Maaref University, Dr. Kamal Lezeik, and included two research interventions that dealt with the following topics:

- The Trend of Rejection and Closure - Intellectual Elites and Political Organizations, presented by Dr. Ghaidan Al-Sayed Ali (Egypt)
- The Independence and Rejection of Subordination Trend - States, Elites and Political Parties, presented by Dr. Ali Hajj Hassan (Lebanon)

Then the third and final session convened under the title: “The West, the Future and Alternatives”, chaired by the university’s academic and scientific advisor, Dr. Talal Atrissi, and included three basic research interventions that covered the following topics:

- Western Visions of Western Future, presented by Dr. El Tahir Mohamed Al-Sharif (Algeria)
- Weakness and Frailty Indicators, presented by Dr. Al-Huthaili Al-Mansar (Tunisia)
- The Alternative Civilizational Legislator: Human, Moral, and Cultural Dimensions, presented by HE Dr. Ahmad Hussein Sharifi (Iran).

The three sessions included extensive and deep discussions between researchers and the conference’s participants.

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