KAICIID welcomed 53 asylum seekers in Austria to the International Dialogue Centre. The visit of the asylum seekers, who hail from Iraq and Syria among other countries, was organised with MenschenRechteReligion, an interreligious initiative from Voitsberg, Austria, where the asylum seekers currently reside.

During their visit to Vienna, MenschenRechteReligion and KAICIID organised an Arabic-language tour of the city, to provide them with an overview of the rich history and storied traditions of the Austrian capital. Thereafter, they were welcomed to the KAICIID headquarters on Vienna’s historic Ringstrasse by Director General Fahad Abualnasr and Deputy Secretary General Ambassador Alvaro Albacete.

The Director General congratulated the initiative of the Lutheran parish in Voitsberg on its important work integrating the asylum seekers, many of whom are fleeing violence and trauma, into Austrian society and community life. “Living and dialoguing together is the only way to build trust between different groups of people. Only by understanding one another and participating together in community life, can we recognise the things we have in common with those who seem different from us, and appreciate and absorb the best in each other’s cultures.”

KAICIID Senior Adviser Mohammed Abu-Nimer introduced the asylum seekers to KAICIID’s work, in particular in Iraq and Syria. During a lively dialogue, the participants were introduced to the principles of interreligious dialogue and its importance.

The organisers hoped that the asylum seekers would become ambassadors of dialogue, both here in Austria and in their home countries, where the need for dialogue has never been more strongly felt.