Dubai: People of the Book united in a celebration of compassion and tolerance to highlight their similarities, not differences, at a special Ramadan gathering in Jebel Ali.
Christian church leaders rolled out the red carpet for UAE Minister of State for Tolerance Shaikha Lubna Al Qasimi at the special interfaith suhour and pre-dawn meal on Monday evening.
Hosted by the Jebel Ali Churches Council at Al Mina Coptic Orthodox Church, more than 20 church parish priests and reverends lauded the UAE leaders for a society that welcomes all faiths and ensures religious freedoms.
Shaikha Lubna was the guest dignitary for the evening fresh off her visit late last month to the Vatican where she delivered an invitation to Pope Francis from President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to visit the UAE, highlighting the country’s interfaith tolerance and the common human values that combine all people based on coexistence.
Shaikha Lubna emphasised the pivotal role of the UAE in sowing the seeds of love, tolerance and cooperation among its people under the leadership of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
In an eight-minute address to more than 100 suhour guests in Jebel Ali, Shaikha Lubna said, “We respect our diversity that defines our multicultural and cosmopolitan society where everyone enjoys a relationship with God.”
Shaikha Lubna said that it is a time to “renew in a spirit of love and to see and respect our bonds of fraternity by the wise vision of the UAE leadership and its keenness to deepen and enrich human relationships among all people and to positively contribute to the achievement of peace and security by bringing the world the message that a shared national existence between different communities and different religious and cultural backgrounds is always possible.”
Her comments were warmly received by her hosts who gathered in full on stage to present Shaikha Lubna with a small gift in appreciation for her efforts to promote tolerance.
Reverend Tim Heaney, parish priest of Christ Church Jebel Ali, said in his remarks that loving God with your heart and loving your neighbour helps foster community unity.
“He commands us to love through tolerance, peace and compassion,” Heaney said.
Commenting on the UAE’s formation of the Ministry of Tolerance, Rev Heaney told Shaikha Lubna, “We are doing everything to help you in your task … as Christians, we are committed by our God to do whatever acts of tolerance and compassion that we can do.”
Father Reinhold Sahner, parish priest of St Francis of Assisi, extended gratitude to the UAE’s leaders through Shaikha Lubna, noting that the country’s acceptance and tolerance to allow others of different faiths speak highly of Emirati culture and values.
“Thanks for the great care and vision of our great leaders of your nation,” Father Sahner said in his remarks.
Citing Saint Paul, Father Sahner noted that all people are considered equal under the eyes of God.
He said that it “makes no difference what ethnic or religious background or education or social status you may have”.
While we cannot change our backgrounds, St. Paul proffered that when we accept differences of all manner, “they are no longer threatening or lead to fear of others,” said Father Sahner.
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National Tolerance Programme
Early this month, the UAE Cabinet approved a new National Tolerance Programme based on seven key pillars, including Islam, Constitution, Zayed’s legacy and ethics of the UAE, international conventions, archaeology and history, humanity and common values.
In cooperation with various entities and through special team work, thought initiatives and national programmes will be launched such as the establishment of a Council for Tolerance and the UAE Tolerance Centre, and the launch of Tolerance Responsibility Programme for Organisations, and the UAE Charter of Tolerance and Coexistence and Peace.
The programme will be in collaboration with federal and local entities under five main themes: Strengthen the government’s role as an incubator of tolerance; consolidate the role of family in nation building; promote tolerance among young people and prevent them from fanaticism and extremism; enrich scientific and cultural content; and integrate international efforts to promote tolerance and highlight the leading role of the UAE in this area.
