Royal Institute for
Inter-Faith Studies
(RIIFS)

Established in 1994 in Amman, Jordan, under the patronage of HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal, the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies (RIIFS) provides a venue in the Arab world for the interdisciplinary study and rational discussion of religion and religious issues, with particular reference to Christianity in Arab and Islamic society.

RIIFS has since broadened its focus to include all issues pertaining to religious, cultural and civilizational diversity, regionally and globally. For this purpose, it maintains relations with similarly concerned academic institutions in different parts of the world.

RIIFS is governed by a board of trustees chaired by His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan bin Talal. It is funded by an annual grant from the government of Jordan, as well as by private donations. The director of RIIFS is HE Professor Kamel S. Abu Jaber  (Political Science Ph.D., Maxwell School, Syracuse University, 1965). Prof. Abu Jaber previously served as President of the Higher Council of the Media; President of the Jordan Institute of Diplomacy (JID); Senator in the Jordanian Upper House of Parliament; Minister of Foreign Affairs; Professor of Political Science and Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences at the University of Jordan; Minister of the Economy. He is the author of numerous publications and papers.

The work of RIIFS involves research and publication, as well as the organization of lectures, conferences and workshops.

The RIIFS Arabic program focuses on the study and documentation of all subjects pertaining to Christianity and Muslim-Christian relations. Its quarterly publication, Al-Nashra, provides a forum for the discussion of interfaith issues, particularly as they relate to Arab and Islamic society. It also monitors the Arabic press for news and other material bearing on religious questions.

The RIIFS English program addresses questions relating to religious and cultural diversity in the world at large, inviting international participation in its academic and other activities. Its yearly publication, Bulletin of the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies (BRIIFS), is an academic journal refereed by internationally known scholars. BRIIFS is intended to provide a venue for interdisciplinary academic inquiry into all fields of the humanities and social sciences that bear on cultural or civilizational interaction and to situate culture contact in a global context.

More recently, RIIFS has started publishing Muqābasāt Hadāriya, a biannual academic journal that features essays and articles in Arabic, as well as in English and other European languages. The journal focuses on religious, cultural and civilizational issues, and highlights common human and ethical values that contribute to strengthening cooperation and mutual understanding among the members of diverse religions and cultures.

RIIFS invites young scholars, on a selective basis, as visiting research associates, from Arab and other countries, to involve them in the work of the institute.