On Saturday, September 21, 2019, the football teams of Muhammad Assad Islamic Cultural Centre (Lviv) and the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) played an inter-religious friendly match.
This meeting held between Muslim and Catholic sportsmen was dedicated to the World Peace Day. The organizers were Libertas Centre for Interfaith Dialogue together with the Masterpeace Lviv Club.
The Dukhovna Velych news agency of Lviv posted Roman Nazarenko’s comments as the coordinator of this event:
“Sport is an excellent tool to bring cultures and religions together. Such an interfaith match will be held in Lviv for the first time on the World Peace Day. Thus, we want to draw the international community’s attention to the problem of war in Ukraine. Our event is one of hundreds of similar initiatives orginised by the global Masterpeace community. ”
The match took place on a football field near the Sheptytsky Centre.
It should be noted that good relations between the Lviv Islamic Cultural Centre, RAMU “Ummah” and the Ukrainian Catholic University have been established since the ICC opening.
Meetings and round tables, implementation of inter-religious projects are not uncommon thing, it represents a regular work. In addition, UCU students are the frequent visitors of the Islamic Cultural Centre. There university teachers hold lectures on religious studies and introduction to Islam, enabling students to get acquainted with this religion by communicating with the followers of Prophet’s religion. The Sheptytsky Centre, where the match took place, is the UCU resource and information centre, which hosts many events aimed at establishing an inter-religious and interethnic dialogue. The Centre organises events to spread true information about Islam and Muslims in order to confute false myths and prejudices. Open lectures and “round tables” dedicated to inter-religious dialogue are held there as well (in particular, the series “Unexpected Islam”).
World Peace Day was established by resolution of the UN General Assembly dated November 30, 1982. By resolution 55/282 dated September 7, 2001, the General Assembly stated that, starting in 2002, and the World Peace Day would be celebrated annually on September 21. World Peace Day is celebrated as a day of global ceasefire and non-violence, therefore, all states and peoples are suggested to cease fire during this day.
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First of all, the Lviv Islamic Cultural Centre (ICC) aims to establish inter-religious and intercultural dialogue; spreading true information about Islam; confuting myths about Islam and Muslims, as well as increasing the educational level of Muslims in Ukraine.
The ICC has a mosque, in which Muslims can satisfy their spiritual needs. There are also various courses, in particular, the Arabic language, introduction to the culture and history of Islam, the study of the Koran and the Sunna of the Prophet (pbuh). Here are the headquarters of public, volunteer organisations and associations of Muslims. The ICC is named after the world prominent Muslim figure Muhammad Asad. Muhammad Asad (at birth - Leopold Weiss) was born in 1900. He made a significant contribution to the development of Islamic culture. He is the author of many books, including the translation of the Quran into English. He was the representative of Pakistan at the UN, adviser to the Saudi Arabia King, professor at the famous Al-Azhar University. After the adoption of Islam, he changed his name, but in a new name he retained his Lviv roots (“Asad” is “Leo” in Arabic).
Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) is an open academic community that lives following the Eastern Christian tradition and educates influencerіs professionals, to serve in Ukraine and beyond it – for God’s glory, the common good and human dignity.
