Gathering to coincide with historic visit of Pope Francis and Ahmad At-Tayyeb, the grand imam of Al Azhar

THE Global Conference of Human Fraternity will convene prominent international religious, intellectual and media personalities, event organiser, the Muslim Council of Elders, on Thursday, January 31 revealed. The council is an Abu Dhabi-based independent international organisation chaired by Ahmad At-Tayyeb, the grand imam of Al Azhar Al Sharif.

The event will run from February 3 to 4 at the Emirates Palace Abu Dhabiunder the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. Aimed at consolidating the UAE’s status as a global centre of tolerance, the gathering will coincide with the historic visit of Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State and Ahmad At-Tayyeb, the grand imam of Al Azhar Al Sharif, chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders to the country.

Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, the UAE minister of Tolerance, will open the conference proceedings. Headline speakers will include Ahmed AboulGheit, the secretary general of the Arab League, Yusuf bin Ahmed Al Uthaymeen, the secretary general of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Bechara Rai, the Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, James Zogby, the founder and president of the Arab American Institute, Bishop Yulius, the general bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Olav FykseTveit, the general secretary of the World Council of Churches, and Ali Al-Amin, the member of the Muslim Council of Elders. The event will draw the participation of leading intellectual and media personalities shaping the fabric of international human fraternity.

Sultan Faisal Al Remeithi, the secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Elders, said: “Through hosting this constellation of eminent international speakers and participants spanning diverse faiths, we seek to uphold the values of tolerance and love among mankind as the optimal tools to achieve peaceful coexistence.”

He added: “The conference will provide an ideal platform to reiterate the significance of tolerance and harmony in heralding a new era of human fraternity, mutual acceptance, moderation, and countering the culture of hatred that disrupts peace and security.”

The agenda will feature knowledge sessions focusing on a wide spectrum of themes related to human fraternity, aimed at stimulating discussions on promoting a culture of peace as an alternative to violence and conflicts based on ideological and ethnic differences. The event will reinforce citizenship as an overarching concept, recognised by all religions and human charters, that places the nation above all considerations while combating religious extremism that encourages isolation and hatred instead of peaceful coexistence and dialogue.

The conference will also examine ways to strengthen cooperation between East and West to achieve global peace, as well as the responsibility of international humanitarian organisations to maintain harmony and security. Its sessions will highlight the role of religious, educational, cultural and media organisations in raising awareness of the importance of human fraternity in society.

Furthermore, attendees will discuss the challenges and opportunities facing human fraternity, outlining a course of action to leverage human conscience and religious ethics to address the underlying causes of violence, such as selfishness, intolerance and hatred.

– Feb. 1, 2019 @ 15:15 GMT |