On 11 April the ninth NATO Regional Cooperation Course (NRCC 9) ended the week’s visits dedicated to the study of the three great monotheistic religions by visiting the Great Mosque in Rome and the Great Synagogue, after having attended the Papal Audience in the Vatican on Wednesday.
In the Great Mosque, Course Members were able to learn about the origins and the history of Europe’s largest mosque and enhance their knowledge of Islamic religion and culture through an interesting briefing and a guided tour.
The participants were warmly welcomed by the Imam of the Great Mosque, Shaikh Muhammad Hassan, before visiting the main parts of the mosque, the auditorium and the library, where a large collection of valuable copies of the Holy Book of the Quran are held, as well as encyclopaedias concerning the Sharia and Arab-Muslim history.
In the afternoon the visit focused on the Great Synagogue and its museum.
Participants attended a briefing provided by Rabbi Umberto Piperno, who lectured at the NDC during the week and who introduced the group to the main customs and traditions of Judaism.
After the visit to the Synagogue, NRCC 9 Course Members toured the Jewish Museum, where they had the opportunity to admire distinctive objects from Jewish history.
At the end of the visit the President of the Jewish Community in Rome, Riccardo Pacifici, bade them farewell.
These visits have been fundamental to strengthening the spirit of mutual understanding and respect among Course Members and in building an active and constructive dialogue among different cultures and religions.
NDC Public Affairs Office
(Prepared by Ms Francesca Blasi, ITA C)
Collège de Défense de l'OTAN