National identity, tolerance, interfaith, public policy and diplomacy: An exploration with Dr Mohammed Baharoom

Written By Nazhath Faheema

I had the opportunity to meet with Dr Mohammed, the Director General of the Dubai Public Policy Research Center (b’huth). He entertained my curiosity about interfaith and diplomatic relations in the Middle East. He explained that foreign policies are based on public policies. In this regard, we discussed the recent developments in the United Arab Emirates.

I note the similarities between Singapore and the UAE in managing religious identities and communities and how this relates to international relations. There is a lot Dr Mohammed shared, which I must research further, specifically how interfaith as public policy and national identity may influence diplomacy.
Dr Mohammed specialises in “the interplay between geostrategy and policy making in governance, stability, capacity building and future-proofing”. He also “worked as the deputy director of Watani, the UAE’s first initiative on national identity.”
He leads both, “an independent public policy research Centre founded in Dubai, UAE in 2002, focusing on International Affairs, Geostrategic Affairs, Public Policy Studies and Public Opinion Research”.

More at https://bhuth.ae/en/about-bhuth

Nazhath Faheema

Nazhath Faheema, a Singaporean Muslim of Indian descent, actively promotes interfaith dialogue. She holds a full-time position at an NGO where she focuses on organizing interfaith charity events. Additionally, she plays an active role in community development, particularly in developing youth leadership to foster social harmony.

Furthermore, Nazhath serves as an external lecturer at ESSEC Asia Pacific in Singapore. She teaches students from Europe and Asia regions on "Race & Religion in Singapore" and "Islam in Singapore."

Nazhath earned her Master of Science in Asian Studies from the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. She also holds a certificate in the Comparative Study of Religions in Plural Societies. Her research interests span various areas, including youth interfaith movements in Southeast Asia, Jewish-Muslim relations, interactions between Muslim-majority states and Israel, and interreligious dialogue in diplomacy.

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