Iman Chairman's 2016 New Year Message

As we welcome in the new year, I would like to take the opportunity to thank Iman’s friends around the world for their ongoing support.

Unfortunately, 2015 was another year in which conflict, extremism, and sectarianism have caused much bloodshed and suffering across the globe. Iman’s mission — to promote dialogue, challenge extremism and bring change — remains as important as ever. In the new year, with your support, we will do all that we can to bring peace and reconciliation to our fractured world.

I must also add that 2015 was a year of great loss for the Iman Foundation itself. In May, one of our board members, former Prime Minister of Iceland, the Hon. Halldor Asgrimsson, passed away, and only very recently our Vice-Chair and President for Africa, Ahmedou Ould Abdel Aziz, also tragically lost his life.

Both Halldor and Ahmedou are sorely missed at Iman. We send our thoughts and prayers to their families as they go into the new year, and we hope that they can find some small solace in the knowledge that the memories of Halldor and Ahmedou will inspire the rest of us at Iman to promote the goals and values we shared with them with renewed vigour in 2016.

With best wishes,

Ribal Al-Assad

Chairman

The Iman Foundation