The Euro-Arab Foundation for Higher Studies has collaborated in the organisation of a key training session for the University Master’s Degree in Intelligence and Counter-Terrorism at the Civil Guard University Centre. Titled “Interreligious Dialogue Panel: Coexistence, Security, and Cooperation,” the session was dedicated to delving into interreligious dialogue and the challenges of democratic coexistence in a context of growing diversity in Spain.
The session, driven by the Islamic Commission of Spain (CIE) with the collaboration of the Euro-Arab Foundation, was held in person at the headquarters of the Civil Guard Orphans Association (APHGC) and is positioned as a strategic high-level space for the exchange of ideas among actors with public decision-making capacity.
A Strategic Forum for Security and Coexistence
The meeting was aimed at the Master’s students, a multidisciplinary profile that includes high-ranking Civil Guard officials, as well as professionals from the judiciary, ministries, security agencies, and penitentiary institutions. The participation of the Euro-Arab Foundation in this forum underscores its experience and institutional relevance in training management personnel on sensitive issues such as diversity management, the fight against extremism, and the promotion of social peace.
The roundtable panel featured the presence of prominent religious denominations in Spain, such as the Spanish Episcopal Conference, the Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain, and the Islamic Commission of Spain (CIE).
Reflections on Social Cohesion and Diversity
The Islamic Commission of Spain (CIE) was represented by Hicham Oulad Mhammed, a CIE member and expert in interreligious dialogue. During his intervention, he highlighted the need to address the growing social polarisation and the negative impact of hoaxes and narratives that seek the “foreignisation” (“extranjerización”) of Muslim communities in Spain, denying their deep historical roots.
Other key points of his presentation included:
- The promotion of the positive visibility of Muslims and the importance of Islamic thought being expressed in the Spanish language, while acknowledging the new challenges this generates in the face of intolerance.
- The recognition of the Spanish legal framework on religious freedom (Law 26/1992) as one of the most advanced, along with the need to improve its practical implementation at the local level.
Hicham Oulad Mhammed stressed that “social cohesion is not built by denying difference, but by integrating it within a framework of mutual respect and real equality,” appealing to the active role of institutions in defending constitutional values.
The Euro-Arab Foundation’s collaboration in the organisation of this event reaffirms its institutional commitment to inter-sectoral cooperation and civic education. By facilitating these high-impact meetings, it directly contributes to the strengthening of interreligious dialogue as an essential tool for democratic coexistence and the prevention of discourses that erode social peace among the State Security Forces and Corps and other key public institutions.
