The Mosque Foundation of Seville attends the Ibn Rushd / Averroes International Congress in Cordoba

It has been an honour for the Seville Mosque Foundation to be invited to the most important international event of the International Year of Ibn Rushd / Averroes, held on 10 November at the Palacio de Congresos de Córdoba. The congress was attended by our president, Ibrahim Hernández, and our vice-president, Jalid Nieto, representing the Foundation.

The meeting, entitled “The International Year of Ibn Rushd / Averroes: An Opportunity for Reason”, brought together prominent figures from academia, culture, public service and civil society, under the organization of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), the League of the Muslim World (MWL) and Espacio Tierra Creativa, with the support of UNESCO, the Cervantes Institute, the Junta de Andalucía, the Provincial Council of Córdoba and the City Council of Cordoba, among other institutions.

The conference, chaired by the High Representative of the UNAOC, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, and the Secretary General of the League of the Muslim World, Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, served to vindicate the validity of the legacy of the Andalusian philosopher in a world marked by polarisation and disinformation. Experts such as Emilio González Ferrín, Jesús Sánchez Adalid, Manuel Pimentel, Maravillas Aguiar, Mohamed-Ali Mostfa and Zouhir Louassini also participated during the congress, addressing issues such as interreligious dialogue, critical thinking and the ethical challenges of artificial intelligence. In the latter area, UNAOC and MWL announced their intention to promote a global ethical guide for artificial intelligence, which will be presented at the closing of the International Year.

For the Seville Mosque Foundation, having been able to attend this meeting is an endorsement of our work to promote dialogue, coexistence and mutual knowledge. The figure of Ibn Rushd, born in Cordoba in 1126, continues to be a universal benchmark of intellectual courage and openness today: his defence of reason in the face of dogmatism, and his conviction that faith and reason can strengthen each other, are values that we share and wish to continue to project from Seville.

We are deeply grateful to the organization for this invitation, which allows us to continue weaving networks of collaboration with institutions around the world and reaffirm our commitment to a more inclusive, critical and peaceful society.