Emirates today
The United Arab Emirates, in its efforts to promote tolerance, coexistence, and rapprochement between world religions, cultures, and civilizations, proceeds from basic foundations, including that the sustainability of work in this field requires the permanent development of plans, mechanisms, and methods of work, and the expansion of the horizons in which the actors move, and the inclusion of more parties And individuals and institutions that share the same goal of building bridges between peoples and nations, and searching for commonalities that allow all human beings to devote their efforts to building a better life.
In this context, the Council of Muslim Elders and the Department of Interfaith Dialogue in the Vatican signed, on Thursday, March 9, 2023, a memorandum of understanding stipulating the formation of a permanent joint committee for Islamic-Christian dialogue between the two sides, whose work includes holding annual meetings to coordinate joint efforts and initiatives. in the field of dialogue and coexistence all over the world.
This agreement comes as a new step on the path of cooperation between the Vatican and the Council of Muslim Elders, the two institutions that were able, through creative cooperation, under the auspices of the wise leadership of the UAE, to present the Document of Human Fraternity, which will remain an immortal text in the history of humanity. With its inception, “In the name of God, who created all human beings equal in rights, duties and dignity, and called them to live as brothers among themselves in order to populate the earth, and spread in it the values of goodness, love and peace.”
The quest for the sustainability of creative work in promoting tolerance stems from the certainty that being satisfied with what has been achieved involves a serious danger, because the forces that live on sowing hatred and spreading division and rivalry do not know stopping, and if they are forced to stop for a while before the growth of human awareness of their dangers and evils It soon develops its tools and methods, and develops ways of misleading and deceiving, through which it attracts new victims to its ranks, and makes them fuel for its malicious plans.
The joint work between the “Council of Muslim Elders”, headed by His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar Mosque, and the Vatican, under the leadership of Pope Francis, is one of the most effective and powerful ways to confront the forces of darkness and hatred, as it strips extremists and fanatics of their flimsy arguments, and exposes them. Their exploitation of the religion that God has revealed is mercy, peace and love.
This kind of work, which the UAE is keen on, presents a model for the pattern of dialogue that should prevail between civilizations, religions, cultures and ideas, and the need to feed it with more institutions, ideas, activities and support, and to attract more active personalities to its arena who possess awareness, insight, influence and knowledge, as a duty that does not Postponement is accepted, and a successful investment for the future of humanity.
* On the “Akhbar Al-Sa’a” bulletin issued by the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research.
