Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, met Pope Francis during a visit to the Vatican last year. Mohamed Al Hammadi / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, met Pope Francis during a visit to the Vatican last year. Mohamed Al Hammadi / Crown Prince CourtShow more

How the UAE is actively promoting dialogue and understanding between different cultures and religions



In 2016, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, announced an unprecedented restructuring of the Federal Government, with the creation of new ministries, including tolerance, happiness and youth affairs departments.

Sheikh Mohammed stated: “We have learned from events in our region over the past five years … [that] we need to study, teach and practice tolerance – and to instill it in our children, both through education and our own example… We have learned from hundreds of thousands of dead and millions of refugees in our region that sectarian, ideological, cultural and religious bigotry only fuel the fires of rage.”

Since it was established in 1971, the UAE has managed to consolidate its image as a promoter of peace and symbol of tolerance. This was thanks to the late Sheikh Zayed, who laid the foundation of such an image in the UAE community. He was merciful and tolerant in his treatment of others. His generosity and humanitarian initiatives reached out to nations all over the world. He once said: “To treat every person, no matter what his creed or race, as a special soul, is a mark of Islam. It is just that point, embodied in the humanitarian tenets of Islam, that makes us so proud of it.” He believed in human diversity as an opportunity for mutual acquaintance, collaboration and building relations.

This approach has been consolidated by Sheikh Khalifa and has become a reality in this generous country that hosts nearly 200 nationalities, representing a wide variety of cultures, religions and races coexisting in peace, tolerance and harmony.

The country has issued legislation and laws that criminalise terrorism, extremism and incitement to hatred. This includes the Anti-Discrimination Law, which criminalises all acts related to contempt of religions or holy sites and all forms of hate speech.

Such legislation protects faiths, ensures the freedom of worship and emphasises tolerance within the system of values, customs and traditions that govern society. Moreover, the country has hosted and sponsored meetings of the Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies, which has set up the Muslim Council of Elders, bringing together a distinguished group of enlightened religious scholars and intellectuals.

Within this context, many centres have been created, including Hedayah, the International Center of Excellence for Countering Violent Extremism and the Sawab Centre, to tackle radical, extremist and hate speech that distorts the image of Islam and Muslims, and to promote the noble Islamic values that call for tolerance, dialogue and coexistence between nations.

The UAE has also introduced itself as a unique model in the world in terms of its openness to other nations, strengthening the values of diversity and coexistence. It will host branches of prestigious world museums, including the Louvre and Guggenheim, and has established branches of distinguished international universities, including Paris Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi and New York University Abu Dhabi, making the country a crossroads of civilisations and an area of interaction between different cultures. The UAE has also been actively promoting dialogue and understanding between different cultures and religions.

In this context, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, met Pope Francis during a visit to the Vatican in September 2016. This reflects our wise leaders’ strong belief in the values of tolerance, dialogue and coexistence between religions, and confirms their firm determination to promote such values worldwide.

The value of tolerance and the culture of giving have characterised the behaviour of Emiratis throughout history. After the UAE was established in 1971, these values have been preserved to reflect the civilised image of the country, which originate from Sheikh Zayed, whose legacy has been secured by his sons, from the noble Islamic values that call for tolerance, coexistence and moderation and, thirdly, from the Emirati ethics that have been sustained by a set of deeply-rooted Arab customs. Finally, the UAE Constitution and international conventions have provided a legal framework that ensures the protection and sustainability of these values. Therefore, it is no wonder that such bases form the main pillars of the National Tolerance Programme. This centres on various principles, including enhancing the role of the government to foster tolerance, strengthening the role of the close-knit family in establishing a tolerant community, consolidating the values of tolerance among youth to protect them against extremism, contributing to the international efforts to instill the values of tolerance and shedding light on the role of the UAE as a tolerant country.

The creation of the Ministry of State for Tolerance does not only aim to preserve the values of tolerance and coexistence that are already the norm in the UAE community, and introduce initiatives that stimulate and promote these values locally, regionally and globally, but it also aims to deliver a noble Emirati message to the world. This message states that instilling the values of tolerance, coexistence and respect of cultural diversity and denouncing speeches that incite hate, extremism and rejection of others must be at the forefront of national and international priorities. Such measures are the only way to achieve security, stability and peace.

The UAE’s unique step in creating the Ministry of State for Tolerance, and appointing Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi to head this portfolio, will consolidate the image of the UAE, both regionally and globally. It will make the UAE a fortress against all forms of extremism and hatred, and announce the country as a globally leading model in terms of government action that inspires other nations.

Dr Jamal Sanad Al Suwaidi is the director general of the Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research

Ronaldo's record at Man Utd

Seasons 2003/04 - 2008/09

Appearances 230

Goals 115

Game Changer

Director: Shankar 

Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram

Rating: 2/5

RACE CARD

5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,400m
5.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 1,000m
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 2,000m
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 2,000m
7pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
7.30pm: Al Ain Mile Group 3 (PA) Dh350,000 1,600m
8pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
 
Amith's selections:
5pm: AF Sail
5.30pm: Dahawi
6pm: Taajer
6.30pm: Pharitz Oubai
7pm: Winked
7.30pm: Shahm
8pm: Raniah

The specs: 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor

Price, base / as tested Dh220,000 / Dh320,000

Engine 3.5L V6

Transmission 10-speed automatic

Power 421hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque 678Nm @ 3,750rpm

Fuel economy, combined 14.1L / 100km

MANDOOB
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Ali%20Kalthami%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Mohammed%20Dokhei%2C%20Sarah%20Taibah%2C%20Hajar%20Alshammari%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Day 3 stumps

New Zealand 153 & 249
Pakistan 227 & 37-0 (target 176)

Pakistan require another 139 runs with 10 wickets remaining

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BRAZIL SQUAD

Alisson (Liverpool), Daniel Fuzato (Roma), Ederson (Man City); Alex Sandro (Juventus), Danilo (Juventus), Eder Militao (Real Madrid), Emerson (Real Betis), Felipe (Atletico Madrid), Marquinhos (PSG), Renan Lodi (Atletico Madrid), Thiago Silva (PSG); Arthur (Barcelona), Casemiro (Real Madrid), Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa), Fabinho (Liverpool), Lucas Paqueta (AC Milan), Philippe Coutinho (Bayern Munich); David Neres (Ajax), Gabriel Jesus (Man City), Richarlison (Everton), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Willian (Chelsea).

Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
  • Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
  • Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
  • Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
 
 
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlmouneer%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dr%20Noha%20Khater%20and%20Rania%20Kadry%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEgypt%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E120%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBootstrapped%2C%20with%20support%20from%20Insead%20and%20Egyptian%20government%2C%20seed%20round%20of%20%3Cbr%3E%243.6%20million%20led%20by%20Global%20Ventures%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
US households add $601bn of debt in 2019

American households borrowed another $601 billion (Dh2.2bn) in 2019, the largest yearly gain since 2007, just before the global financial crisis, according to February data from the New York Federal Reserve Bank.

Fuelled by rising mortgage debt as homebuyers continued to take advantage of low interest rates, the increase last year brought total household debt to a record high, surpassing the previous peak reached in 2008 just before the market crash, according to the report.

Following the 22nd straight quarter of growth, American household debt swelled to $14.15 trillion by the end of 2019, the New York Fed said in its quarterly report.

In the final three months of the year, new home loans jumped to their highest volume since the fourth quarter of 2005, while credit cards and auto loans also added to the increase.

The bad debt load is taking its toll on some households, and the New York Fed warned that more and more credit card borrowers — particularly young people — were falling behind on their payments.

"Younger borrowers, who are disproportionately likely to have credit cards and student loans as their primary form of debt, struggle more than others with on-time repayment," New York Fed researchers said.

German plea
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the German parliament that. Russia had erected a new wall across Europe. 

"It's not a Berlin Wall -- it is a Wall in central Europe between freedom and bondage and this Wall is growing bigger with every bomb" dropped on Ukraine, Zelenskyy told MPs.

Mr Zelenskyy was applauded by MPs in the Bundestag as he addressed Chancellor Olaf Scholz directly.

"Dear Mr Scholz, tear down this Wall," he said, evoking US President Ronald Reagan's 1987 appeal to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate.