Human Fraternity Declaration ‘sends Strong Message,’ Says UK Parliamentarian
Sumaira FH Published February 07, 2019 | 06:45 PM
The Declaration on Human Fraternity signed in Abu Dhabi this week by Pope Francis, Head of the Catholic Church, and Dr. Ahmed el-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al Azhar, "sends a strong message to those, on both sides, who seek to promote division and extremist views," according to British parliamentarian Lord Alton of Liverpool
LONDON, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 07th Feb, 2019) The Declaration on Human Fraternity signed in Abu Dhabi this week by Pope Francis, Head of the Catholic Church, and Dr. Ahmed el-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al Azhar, "sends a strong message to those, on both sides, who seek to promote division and extremist views," according to British parliamentarian Lord Alton of Liverpool.
Lord Alton, a Catholic member of the House of Lords, works actively on human rights and religious liberty issues.
Noting that the Human Fraternity declaration had been "proclaimed in Arabia," he told the Emirates news Agency, WAM, that "this is hugely important In the middle East, which has seen so much strife in recent years."
"The greatest challenge of the 21st century is how we learn to respectfully live together, honouring each other’s traditions and recognising the strength of diversity and difference," he added.
"The antidote to the horrific persecution of Rohingya and other Muslims or the genocide of Christians and other Middle Eastern minorities must be a new determination by religious and political leaders to promote mutual respect and tolerance.
The Pope’s visit should stir us all to denounce and combat violent extremism and visceral hatred wherever it emerges."
Lord Alton, who is president of the UK Copts Association, a body representing the Egyptian Coptic population in Britain, went on to note that, "The UAE’s proclamation of 2019 as the 'Year of Tolerance' and the first-ever visit of a Catholic Pope to the Arabian peninsula - birthplace of islam - is powerfully symbolic. So too were the frequent references made during the visit by Pope Francis to the UAE’s own heritage of a 1400 year old Christian presence."
"The UAE has initiated really important interfaith dialogue and respect," he said. "The country’s willingness to welcome many faiths and cultures, with its own thriving Christian expatriate communities, demonstrates how we can begin to meet the challenge of learning to live together."
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Sindh home minister chairs law and order meeting
Bakht Kakar orders to ensure maximum facilities in livestock sector
NEPRA concludes hearing into FCA of DISCOs for March
Junta-led Burkina Faso suspends BBC, Voice of America for two weeks
Chairman COPHC lauds MoMA’s efforts at Gwadar Port, Free Zone
CM’s aide directs steps to prevent domestic violence against women
LESCO detects 74,621 power pilferers in 220 days
Regional Police officer (RPO) Shariq Kamal Siddiqui holds open court
LESCO collects over Rs 4.36m from 189 defaulters in 24 hours
Secretary health urges public to follow precautionary measures to avoid spreadin ..
PM directs formation of committee for consultation with provinces on carbon cred ..
UAF to ink MoU with Ethiopian universities
More Stories From Middle East
-
UAE announces ‘Zero Bureaucracy Program’ to reduce bureaucracy
3 months ago -
COP28 President-Designate welcomes Transitional Committee agreement to operationalise Loss and Damag ..
6 months ago -
Global Media Congress 2023 to feature Co-Production Majlis as a new networking platform
6 months ago -
Young female athletes shine at Abu Dhabi World Youth Jiu-Jitsu Championship
6 months ago -
King of Jordan receives Abdullah bin Zayed and ministers participating in Arab coordination meeting
6 months ago -
Abdullah bin Zayed participates in coordination meeting of Arab foreign ministers, joint meeting wit ..
6 months ago
-
3rd annual conference of Emirates Society of Clinical Microbiology kicks off in Dubai
6 months ago -
SIBF 2023 hosts Nobel laureate to discuss emergence of ‘Afrofuturism’ in global discourse
6 months ago -
ALC announces winners of Kanz Al Jeel Award 2023
6 months ago -
SIBF turns spotlight on remarkable contributions of women
6 months ago -
Global assets in spot bitcoin ETFs hit $4.16 billion
6 months ago -
Rescuers struggle to find Nepal quake survivors as deaths reach 157
6 months ago