UAE minister issues a global call for tolerance

Over 226 scholars, students and entities took part as the UAE launched a ‘global call for tolerance’ on Monday. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, launched the call on the International Day of Tolerance.

The initiative invites representatives of participating authorities and entities to send a message of tolerance in eight languages.

“We call on everyone to work together for a world full of compassion, tolerance, coexistence and justice — free from all forms of extremism, hate and violence,” said Sheikh Nahyan.

The call was attended by religious leaders from around the country, including Dr Mohammed Mattar Salem Al Kaabi, Chairman of the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments; Bishop Paul Hinder, Vicar Apostolic of the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia; Yehuda Sarna, Chief Rabbi of the UAE; Vasu Shroff, Head of the Hindu Temple in Dubai; Surender Singh Kandhari, Chairman of the Guru Nanak Darbar, Sikh Temple in Dubai; and representatives of public and private schools, tolerance programmes, university clubs, public authorities, intellectuals and artists.

Sheikh Nahyan said the call is an invitation from the UAE to the world to promote the values of tolerance, coexistence and peace among all peoples, regardless of their religions, cultures and languages.

UAE’s key tolerance initiatives

Sheikh Nahyan highlighted the UAE’s key initiatives to promote tolerance:

> 2015: Anti-discrimination law is issued

> 2016: Ministry of Tolerance is established

> 2018: Historic meeting between Pope Francis, Head of the Catholic Church, and Dr Ahmed Al Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, who signed the Human Fraternity Document

> 2019: Human Fraternity Document is issued and the Year of Tolerance is launched in the UAE

> 2020: Ministry of Tolerance is renamed as the Ministry of Tolerance and Coexistence.

• Dubai
• Abu Dhabi