Nahyan bin Mubarak: UAE is keen to consolidate values of tolerance, moderation and respect for religions

Kuala Lumpur, 5th February, 2015 (WAM) -- The UAE is committed to upholding basic principles of human rights and advancing international efforts that ensure all people of the world live in peace, security and welfare, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, said yesterday. ''The UAE's leading efforts to promote values of tolerance, moderation and respect for and protection of religions regionally and internationally stems out of recognition of the fact that communities of true faith adherents share common universal vision and that every human life has a value,'' Sheikh Nahyan said in a televised address to the two-day 4th International Seminar on Interfaith Harmony and Tolerance, in Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur. The Ministry is organising the event along with International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) and other partners as part of World Interfaith Harmony Week, an annual event to be observed during the first week of February starting in 2011. ''As an Arab and a Muslim nation, the United Arab Emirates has a deep respect for peace and tolerance and a strong desire to understand the world around us, which is the world represented by our population. We wish for a world where individual men and women with a wide variety of cultural and religious beliefs act as good human beings. Good human beings work for peace and cooperation, prosperity, and the well-being of society. Good human beings tolerate and respect one another and understand each other’s good motives, whatever their cultural and religious differences may be,'' he said. Following is the full text of Sheikh Nahyan's speech: Delegates to the Fourth International Seminar on Interfaith Harmony and Tolerance, Ladies and Gentlemen: Unbelievable advances in science and technology allow me to address you of many faiths who have assembled in Malaysia today. My ability to appear among you even while I am physically in Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, emphasises the global nature of this great event and the eternal fact that we human beings are indeed connected. The United Arab Emirates, through its Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Community Development, is honoured with the opportunity to collaborate with the Global Forum of the International Islamic University Malaysia and with the Prime Minister’s Department of National Unity and Integration and India’s Ma’din Academy in organising this important seminar. It is clearly appropriate for this Islamic university and for Malaysia to host an international event that brings together scholars, clerics, and intellectuals for interfaith dialogue. Malaysia and IIUM have always served as a force for peace, understanding, and stability in the world. And it is my great honour to relay to all of you the greetings and best wishes of your brothers, your friends, and your colleagues in the United Arab Emirates. Today we have yet another opportunity to display the friendship and cooperation that bind our two countries together. The relationships between the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia have a long history and are very strong. These relationships are deeply rooted in confidence and trust and provide a strong and stable foundation for our cooperation, now and in the future. My respect for Malaysia and for the International Islamic University Malaysia only deepens my gratitude for the awards bestowed on me today. I am honoured by your recognition of actions that have been enabled by the enlightened worldview of my native country. The welcoming, understanding, non-judgmental, action-oriented attitude of the United Arab Emirates underpins the achievements of all of its citizens. Thank you for valuing that inspiring attitude. Although the UAE is certainly not alone in promoting understanding and civility, the global nature of its population sets it apart from many other nations. It is a global society of many cultures – a country where people from nearly 200 nations work and live in peace and harmony. Outside observers marvel that the United Arab Emirates has become and remains productive, exciting, peaceful, prosperous, and inviting despite its mélange of cultures, religions, economic classes, and languages. For millennia our region of the world has been a crossroads of cultures and trade, and I am pleased to say that this characteristic continues into the 21st century. Citizens of all nations pass through the UAE, and many of them stay, often building careers lasting a lifetime. I hope that you too will journey to our global crossroads and enjoy our global culture. As an Arab and a Muslim nation, the United Arab Emirates has a deep respect for peace and tolerance and a strong desire to understand the world around us, which is the world represented by our population. We wish for a world where individual men and women with a wide variety of cultural and religious beliefs act as good human beings. Good human beings work for peace and cooperation, prosperity, and the well-being of society. Good human beings tolerate and respect one another and understand each other’s good motives, whatever their cultural and religious differences may be. From the founding of our nation through our emergence as a leader in the region and the world, the United Arab Emirates has recognised that people of true faith share a common vision for the world: that every human life has value and that life itself is a beautiful and compelling mystery and a gift to be cherished. In the United Arab Emirates, we demonstrate a conviction and an ability to bring hope and optimism to cultural and religious relationships that have long been characterised by doubt and lack of trust. We believe that the only strategy that will reduce, and eventually eliminate, conflict emerging from religious or cultural differences is direct action to find common ground among people of all nations, cultures, and faiths. Common ground is possible when all people come to know and respect one another as equals in their quest for peace and harmony in our world. We in the UAE believe that the need for moving away from suspicion and fear and toward mutual trust and acceptance is greater now than ever before. That is why discussions at this seminar, though now a routinely annual event, carry special significance in the year 2015. In the name of religious faith, people, particularly young people, are committing intolerable acts of violence worldwide. The horrific evidence clogs our minds. We Muslims know that violent acts carried out in the name of Islam have no religious justification. Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance, so the sanctity of human life has a very special meaning for us. The Qur’an states that anyone who takes an innocent life has in effect killed the life of all human kind; and anyone who saves someone's life has in effect saved the life of all human kind. Those beliefs unite us with the people of other religious faiths. Whatever our differences may be, understanding, not violence, will lead to peace. Thus, it is perfectly right that your discussions will proceed at a great international university because education leads to understanding. Education is one of the most effective ways to address the root causes that fuel hatred and mistrust among us and between us. We must educate ourselves. We must educate public opinion and policy makers wherever they may be. We Muslims must convince the rest of the world through word and action that Islam is not a threat. People in the West and elsewhere must resist stereotyping all Muslims in accord with the unsupportable beliefs of a tiny minority. We Muslims must help the world understand that we are commanded to respect people of other beliefs and to live together in peace and harmony. Friends and Colleagues: We will not reach out to our fellow human beings successfully if we isolate ourselves from the world. We cannot fear the world in which we live. We must engage and understand that world. We all now inhabit one interconnected, interdependent world, and we are part of something much bigger than our individual selves. We adults all over the world have the responsibility for nurturing future generations who love the good and love their neighbours. In an internationally-focused community marked by mutual respect and committed to the task of understanding each other, young men and women have a good chance to develop into outstanding global citizens. If for an instant we ignore them, however, we risk sowing the seeds of ignorance and hostility that can grow into disabling disaffection and even destructive terrorism. In our country, our founder and moral paragon the late Sheikh Zayed wisely likened education to "a lantern which lights your way in a dark alley." Our President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has also observed that (and I quote): ''Educating the individual is this country’s most valuable investment. It represents the foundation for progress and development.'' Education, to be sure, is a holistic, slowly developing investment. The actions of parents, of teachers and professors, and of religious leaders and other influential societal leaders affect the education of our young people. Their encounters with the Worldwide Web, movies, television, and print journalism likewise affect their education. Nor can we deny that governmental policies and actions and the nature of a country’s own understanding of its responsibilities in the global community affect the education of our youth. If our investment in education begins to pay dividends, we must reinvest. No matter how successful a nation may be in educating its youth and laying a foundation for progress and development, it is further responsible for ensuring that educated young men and women have the opportunity to apply their skills and knowledge in the workplace. Meeting that responsibility is a huge challenge, especially in economically troubled countries. Success will often depend on the goodness and imagination of leaders and on the willingness of the older population to be truly good neighbours to the younger population. I am realistic enough to recognise that thousands of communities around the world are struggling in their attempt to provide rewarding work for their young men and women, just as they are struggling, to some degree or another, to raise young men and women who are prepared and eager to embrace the world and contribute to a successful global society. In this human struggle for a better world, we are fortunate to have the opportunity to join this international, interfaith seminar dedicated to harmony and peace. We will learn. We will be inspired to redouble our efforts. We will reaffirm the priceless nature of free and open dialogue between people of various cultures, in the full knowledge that words and reason bind us together. We are all neighbours and friends, not enemies or adversaries. We are here together on this planet, and we will be here together for the rest of history. Our job, and the job that I hope your Seminar will commit itself to, is to help build a global majority; to create a tidal wave in support of tolerance, respect, peace, harmony, coexistence, understanding, and common action around the world. Our job is to help bring down the walls of misunderstanding and revive the tradition of tolerance and useful exchange among cultures. Once again, I send my best wishes to you and to all participants in the International Seminar on Interfaith Harmony and Tolerance. I hope that your work together will pave the way to global peace and understanding. Please know that I join you in spirit and am confident that your efforts will benefit us all. Let the dialogue begin at this great Seminar. Thank you, and Peace be with you. – Emirates News Agency, WAM – http://www.wam.ae/en/news/emirates/1395276054987.html