Every resident is an ambassador of tolerance: Sheikha Lubna

Dubai - The UAE is a country of more than 200 nationalities

It is an important duty of everyone living in the UAE to deliver to the world the message of tolerance, Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Minister of State for Tolerance, said in a talk at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature on Wednesday.
Citing the fact that the UAE is a country of more than 200 nationalities, Sheikha Lubna said: "We may live in small country but we are a multi-cultural society who lives in harmony."
"We are happy and comfortable but we need to change the perspective of other people in the world. Everyone in the UAE (citizens and residents alike) can become an ambassador who can talk about tolerance and how we live (in harmony)," she underlined.
Reacting to Sheikha Lubna's speech, Rev Canon Andrew Thompson MBE, senior Anglican chaplain at St. Andrew's Church in Abu Dhabi, told Khaleej Times: "It is very important to counteract the negative opinion of people living outside the UAE."
"The best way to do that is when we (expats) go home, we talk about what it's like to live here.  There are many ways to tell our stories to our family, friends, the media, etc. that the Middle East is not a monolithic region where there is rampant terrorism, breaking out all over," added Thompson, who is also the author of two books: Christianity in the United Arab Emirates and Jesus of Arabia.
Citing his personal experience, Thompson said: "Every time I go home to UK, I would encounter people who are surprised of the religious freedom we enjoy in the UAE. They thought Christians were persecuted in the region; maybe in some places it's true but not in the UAE."
"The vast majority of Muslim Arabs are peaceful and tolerant citizens just like anyone the world. Therefore, we need to counter the stereotypical Islamophobia and negative prejudices in the West by promoting the story of the UAE as a great model of tolerance," he underlined.
Thompson enumerated: "In my congregation in Abu Dhabi, at least 15,000 Christians attend our service and 45,000 Catholics go to nearby St. Joseph's Cathedral every Friday. The biggest Roman Catholic Church in the world outside of a Christian country is in Dubai with around 75,000 worshippers every Friday. These sheer numbers alone talk a lot about tolerance from the perspective of a religious minority."
He added that Muslims and Christians should band together to fight the growing trend of intolerance in the world. 
"It is a very worrying trend to see walls coming up rather than coming down. We thought that with globalisation, the world would become a smaller place but what we are hearing now is the rise right and far-right; more prejudice, misunderstanding and distrust. We need to challenge this fear and establish community to bring down the walls and build bridges," he told Khaleej Times.
angel@khaleejtimes.com
'Tolerance is like a beautiful symphony orchestra'
 The UAE's Minister of State for Tolerance Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid bin Sultan Al Qasimi likened the spirit of tolerance in the UAE to a beautiful symphony orchestra, with everyone having a part to play but co-dependent with one another to produce a melodious music.
She said the government is the conductor or maestro and every member is trying to perfect his/her own part in the orchestra. "It requires a lot of patience but when there is harmony, this is translated to joy and acceptance."
Sheikha Lubna also called on everyone to strengthen the country's cultural and educational foundations to combat extremism, violence, hatred and discrimination by promoting moderation and peaceful co-existence.
And if the UAE is like an orchestra, Sheikha Lubna said, it is composed of people from all over the world.
"In the 1970s, we were just a small nation but blessed with wealth that God has given us - the oil. The first stage of our development was to educate and provide for the nation; we were sent abroad to study," she said.
"But we did not want to be small nation with a lot of money lest we be identified as a social welfare society - so we expanded our economic base and invited people from around the world. 
"People came here not only with their skills but also their culture and differences in a very positive way," Sheikha Lubna continued. "We look at expats as our partners and we ensure that when they live here, they feel safe and secure and there is harmony."
angel@khaleejtimes.com
 

• Dubai