Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, has affirmed the importance of resolutions of the G20 Interfaith Summit to solve problems facing the humanity through the religious dialogue as a way for co-operation to achieve happiness for all mankind.
Sheikh Nahyan underlined the significance of dialogue among religions and cultures, adding that the UAE encourages dialogue to build communication bridges and understanding. "Dialogue will contribute to finding areas of common interest among followers of various religions and cultures, and will help strengthen proper relations among them." He also added that the UAE's multicultural society proves that it safeguards the freedom of belief and worship and provides an appropriate atmosphere for understanding, a policy that has facilitated cultural interactions and enhanced values such as religious freedom, peace, tolerance, coexistence and mutual respect.
Sheikh Nahyan added, "All these values were gleaned from the far-sighted vision of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and were instilled by the late founder Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. These were meant to deal with the multiplicity of human cultures and civilisations." The Minister thanked the organisers of the G20 Interfaith Summit in Australia, stressing that conferring of this prestigious award upon him by the global organisation is an international recognition of the UAE's efforts in building a distinct and distinguished society, open to other civilisations, and proves that it is a role model for peaceful coexistence among religions and cultures.
He added, "This also shows the UAE follows a policy of development, welfare and achievement focus on happiness of the society", adding that this reflects the UAE's rich historic legacy when it comes to peaceful coexistence among religions.
He also added that this underscores the UAE's stature as being a hub of dialogue among various religions and cultures by providing wider horizons for interaction to shed light on common values among all religions, stressing that all the country's legislative, educational and cultural departments have worked towards enhancing dialogue and a culture of tolerance through freedom of thinking and belief, as well as acceptance of pluralism and rejection of violence, extremism and narrow-mindedness.
Sheikh Nahyan made these remarks as the UAE's participation came to a conclusion. The UAE was represented by the Ministry of Culture's delegation at the Interfaith Summit held on the sidelines of G20 Summit in Australia.
In a related context, the UAE delegation held a special session on the topic of the UAE being a model for religious freedom, tolerance and peaceful religious coexistence.
The session also witnessed the participation of top church leaders in the UAE and the Emirati thinker, Dr. Yousef Al-Hassan.
At the beginning of the session, Yousef al Hassan, former Director of the Emirates Institute of Diplomacy, gave a presentation on the public outline of the UAE as a model for tolerance and peaceful coexistence in the light of its constitutional framework. He also briefed them on a host of previous practical experiences of the country in this regard such as setting up places of worship for non- Muslims.
Dr. Yousef demonstrated the UAE's experience in the field of development through being open to the other, stability in work and interactions, citing the vision of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in the field of humanitarian work in a number of countries regardless of their beliefs.