UNESCO CHAIR For Inter-Religious Dialogue Studies in The Islamic World
The UNESCO Chair for Dialogue graced, on the evening of Thursday, the seventh of May, 2026, the ceremony convened to announce the laureate of the “Positive Impact in the Digital Space” certificate — a distinction bestowed by the Masarat Foundation for Cultural and Media Development upon those who have rendered an exceptional service to the ethics of public discourse.
The certificate was conferred upon His Eminence Dr. Zaid Bahr Al-Uloom, as an expression of profound appreciation for his singular role in entrenching a digital discourse marked by moderation and utterly untainted by hatred throughout the year 2025. He was likewise honoured for his distinction as the foremost religious figure among no fewer than 2,000 public personalities whose online presence was monitored and scrutinised during that year — not one instance of hate speech having been detected, in either his content or his interactions, across the entirety of that period.
A dedicated ceremony of tribute was held on this occasion at the Dar Al-Ilm Foundation for Imam Al-Khoei in the venerable city of Najaf. The proceedings opened with a keynote address by Dr. Saad Salloum, President of the Masarat Foundation, who cast a reflective light upon the most luminous milestones of His Eminence Bahr Al-Uloom’s distinguished journey, and dwelt at length upon his seminal role in nurturing the values of dialogue and moderation within both the religious and digital realms.
The ceremony then gave way to an open and wide-ranging conversation, deftly moderated by Dr. Amena Al-Dhahabi, in which His Eminence Zaid Bahr Al-Uloom spoke with candour and depth about the foundations that govern his engagement with the religious sphere, and the intellectual and moral convictions that animate and shape his public voice.
Sheikh Hussein Al-Samarrai, a member of the Arab Platform for Dialogue and Cooperation among Religious Leaders, thereafter offered a heartfelt testimonial in which he lavished praise upon the remarkable experience of His Eminence Zaid Bahr Al-Uloom, extolling his unwavering commitment to a discourse that is at once balanced, responsible, and worthy of emulation.
The ceremony was further enriched by the presence of a delegation from the Coexistence House in Sinjar, with Dr. Mirza Danaei delivering a moving address in which he brought into sharp relief the spirit of moderation and genuine openness to the Other that so unmistakably distinguishes Bahr Al-Uloom’s discourse — observing that it stands as a radiant and living embodiment of Najaf’s national religious voice in its embrace of religious minorities.
