The Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies (RIIFS) on Sunday held a roundtable on “Religion and Society in the Middle East” in collaboration with the Australian embassy in Amman. According to a statement from the institute, the Australian participants were headed by Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr, who is visiting Jordan, while RIIFS Director Kamel Abu Jaber led the Jordanian side. The discussions focused on Islamic-Christian relations in the Middle East, the effects of the Arab Spring on the people of the region, and the worrying situation of Christians in Jerusalem. The roundtable also covered the themes of the Amman Message, the image of Islam worldwide, and the need to fight hatred and misunderstanding among followers of different religions. From jordantimes