Dying, death, and common ground: Muslims and Christians discuss palliative care

Pontifical academy joins with Georgetown University Qatar for interfaith, scholarly exchange.

“To initiate a scholarly exchange on palliative care,” experts in ethics, medicine and religion, both Christians and Muslims, are meeting in Doha (Qatar) on January 22 and 23, announced a statement from the Pontifical Academy for life.

This conference, entitled “Christian and Muslim Perspectives on Palliative Care and End of Life,” is being held on the campus of Georgetown University Qatar (GU-Q). It has been organized jointly by the Pontifical Academy for Life and by the university.

“Religions are not only able to facilitate a greater presence of palliative care where it is needed, but they are one of the true component forces of palliative care itself,” said Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Pontifical Academy for Life in the statement.

For Ahmad Dallal, dean of GU-Q University, “Palliative care affects all of humanity, and in line with Georgetown University’s values we are pleased to demonstrate our commitment by facilitating a constructive interfaith dialogue” through this event.

These two days will also be an opportunity to “discuss contextually specific opportunities and barriers in depth in order to promote the diffusion and implementation of palliative care in Islamic countries,” reads the Georgetown University website.