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, (Pakistan Point News - 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."
