Lieutenant General, His Highness Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, and Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, inaugurated the Abrahamic Family House; To be a new beacon for dialogue and knowledge, and a cultural edifice within the Saadiyat Cultural District.
The house includes three places of worship, a mosque, a church and a synagogue, as it will start receiving visitors on the first of next March.
It reflects the vision and values of the United Arab Emirates for the convergence of humanity, the dialogue of cultures, and the diversity that characterizes the country, devoting its efforts to promoting peaceful coexistence for future generations, and drawing inspiration from the principles of the Human Fraternity Document signed by His Holiness Pope Francis and His Eminence the Grand Imam Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb in Abu Dhabi in 2019.
The head of the House, Muhammad Khalifa Al-Mubarak, said: “The establishment of the Abrahamic Family House is an extension of the legacy of the founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed (may God rest his soul), and the values upon which he built our state, his vision of peace, and the values of understanding and mutual respect in a country that embraces more than 200 nationalities from around the world, and we hope that this edifice will be a source of hope for future generations, and a beacon that brings them together for good, for the sake of a world of mutual understanding and coexistence in peace.
The house of the Abrahamic family includes the mosque of the Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayyib, the Church of His Holiness Pope Francis, and the Synagogue of Musa bin Maimon.
The former President of Al-Azhar University, Dr. Muhammad Hussein Al-Muhrasawi, said that the house of the Abrahamic family comes as a true translation of the provisions of the Human Fraternity Document, which calls for ensuring tolerance and coexistence, ensuring freedom of belief and protecting places of worship, and this house is a model of coexistence, rapprochement and mutual respect for the sake of man. .
In turn, His Eminence Cardinal Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue in the Holy See, said, “The house embodies an ideal model for members of society of different religions, cultures, traditions and beliefs to return to the essence, which is represented by love. It consolidates its efforts to promote dialogue and mutual respect.” And he works in the service of human brotherhood, and we walk together on the paths of peace.
The Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations in Britain and the Commonwealth, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, said: “On this historic day, we have come together to celebrate this historic edifice that unites us in the love of God, the home of the Abrahamic family. From today on, let us use this exceptional holy site to build a new world.” In which we promote harmony and peace, and in a world where differences can separate us, let us say here that our common human values always bring us together more than divide us.
