ABU DHABI: Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, attended the latest Majlis Mohamed bin Zayed lecture, titled “˜Navigating the Future: How to Meet the Challenges of Today and Tomorrow’ delivered by Dr Muhammad Al-Duwaini, Undersecretary of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif.
The lecture, which took place at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, explored the importance of faith and values in helping individuals and humanity face the challenges of today and prepare for future progress.
Dr Al-Duwaini began by addressing the economic, political and social issues currently confronting society, noting that their effects are not concentrated in just one place but can be felt across the world. These challenges, he explained, are the result of a crisis of moral values and a reliance on materialism at the expense of spirituality.
The lecture spoke about the importance of planning for the future in the light of past and present experiences, and to adopt values that drive positive action and an appreciation for the world and its resources. Dr Al-Duwaini cited many Quranic verses that call for positivity and planning for the future to face any crises that may arise.
The speaker stressed that dealing with the challenges of today and tomorrow requires all of humanity to adopt a set of religious values and civilised ethics in order to help rationalise the decisions and regulate the behaviour of individuals, and protect them from temptation.
Such a system of values, he explained, helps build a cohesive society, defining its goals and ideals, and preserving its identity. Dr Al-Duwaini pointed to the relevance of the Human Fraternity Document for World Peace and Living Together, signed in Abu Dhabi in 2019 by the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif and the Head of the Catholic Church, which promotes dialogue, understanding and tolerance. He noted that “˜human fraternity’ does not differentiate between peoples.
The lecture was also attended by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence; Sheikh Abdullah bin Bayyah, Chairman of the UAE Council for Fatwa; and a number of sheikhs and officials.
The lecture will be broadcast on Thursday April 6 at 5.30pm on local TV networks and on the Majlis Mohamed bin Zayed YouTube channel (youtube.com/@MajlisMohamedbinZayed).
