Sawab Centre Celebrates Tolerance On Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday

ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 18th Nov, 2018) The Sawab Centre, a joint UAE-US digital communications hub to combat extremist ideologies online and promote positive alternatives, has announced the launch of a new campaign on its social media platforms. Under the hashtag of #KnowingTheOther, the four-day campaign will run from November 18 - 21 in Arabic, English and French on the Centre’s Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube platforms.

This new campaign will advocate for building bridges among peoples, cultures and religions to break down the barriers of hate, ignorance, and prejudice, which can lead to violence and extremism. Through highlighting the examples of Ibn Batutta, Leo Tolstoy and other luminaries, #KnowingTheOther will also address the benefits of travel, learning foreign languages, and exposing oneself to other cultures and religions to expand one’s horizons and to help create just, tolerant and peaceful communities. Coinciding with the commemoration of the Prophet’s Birthday on November 18, this campaign will focus on the words and deeds of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), who epitomised the values of mercy, tolerance and unity, in contrast with extremists’ brutal worldview that feeds into division and paranoia.

#KnowingTheOther is Sawab Centre’s thirty-first social media campaign countering extremism and presenting positive alternatives to violent and divisive ideologies. Other campaigns have focused on terrorism’s devastation of families, communities, and ancient civilisations, as well as positive themes such as inspirational stories of youth impacting their communities for the better and the important contributions of women in preventing and resisting extremism and in advancing their societies.

Since its launch in July 2015, the Centre has encouraged governments, communities, and individual voices to engage proactively to counteract online extremism. Over this time, the Center has given voice to the millions of people around the world who oppose extremist ideologies, while supporting efforts to expose terrorist groups’ brutality and criminal nature.