Abu Dhabi: The Department of Community Development - Abu Dhabi (DCD), in cooperation with the Department of Culture and Tourism, has launched a multi-religious room for non-Muslims at the Louvre Museum here to allow non-Muslim visitors to practise their religious rituals in accordance with the customs and traditions recognised in the UAE. This is the third such room in the emirate after the ones at Abu Dhabi International Airport and Cleveland Hospital.
The move positions Abu Dhabi as a global centre for tolerance and human fraternity that grants members of different communities all the necessary rights and care to spread the culture of coexistence between different nationalities.
The launch of the multi-religious room came in the presence of Hamad Al Dhaheri, Undersecretary of the Department of Community Development - Abu Dhabi, Saud Al Hosani, Undersecretary of the Department of Culture and Tourism, Manuel Rabate, Director General of the Louvre Museum - Abu Dhabi, and a number of executives and employees from the participating entities.
In this regard, Al Dhaheri said: “The launch of the multi-religious worship room at Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi comes as a continuation of the initiatives and projects that contribute towards enhancing the quality of life and verifies the department’s vision of providing a dignified life to all members of the community, especially as this initiative confirms our endeavours towards creating a cohesive community based on tolerance and respect for the other.”
Spreading tolerance
Al Dhaheri added: “The multi-religious worship room embodies the meanings of harmony, compassion and social integration. Our country has had an honourable record of spreading the concepts of tolerance and human coexistence on the regional and global levels, especially since the UAE has believed in the importance of openness to people and living in harmony and compassion with all cultures. By the grace of God and under the guidance of our wise leadership, it has become a destination of peace and tolerance.”
Al Hosani said: “This step embodies the values of tolerance, openness and respect for others and presents Abu Dhabi as a destination of human peace and coexistence between all religions and nationalities.” He added that the establishment of the multi-religious worship room highlights the principles of Islamic religion that the UAE urges to reveal and showcase globally.
Rabate said: “The Louvre Abu Dhabi is a museum for the comfort of the soul and mind, which narrates the interplay of cultures. We seek to showcase the shared human stories and the similarities that bind us together and that are evident in the artworks.”
