The Deputy Ambassador, Mohammed Al Shehhi, giving the Book of Fraternity to Bishop Antoine Kambanda
Kigali: The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Rwanda presented the “Book of Human Brotherhood” to the Bishop of Kigali, Antoine Kambanda as well as to the Kigali Public Library on December 12 and 16, 2019, respectively.
It was Deputy Ambassador Mohammed Al Shehhi who delivered this Agreement Document which was signed between Pope Francis and Sheikh of Al Azhar, during Pope Francis’ first visit to the UAE from February 03 to 05, 2019.
The Document entitled “A Human Brotherhood for Peace in the World and Living Together” consecrates the country’s determination to establish a spirit of tolerance in society, to establish a culture of openness and dialogue and to reject any form of discrimination based on religion, gender, race, color or language.
“From our fraternal discussions, and from the meeting which expressed a deep hope in a bright future for all human beings, the idea of the Document on Human Fraternity was conceived. It is a text which has been the subject of an honest and serious reflection in order to be a common declaration of good and sincere aspirations. It is a document which invites all those who have faith in God and in human brotherhood to unite and work together. It is in this capacity that it can serve as a guide for future generations to advance a culture of mutual respect in the awareness of the great divine grace which makes all human beings brothers and sisters, “explained the Ambassador Hazza Alqahtani.
“Our Year of Tolerance also sums up the vision of the founding father of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Zayed, who believed that a prosperous, tolerant and progressive society can only be achieved through the empowerment of women and their full participation in building the country,”he said.
The UAE Embassy also provided assistance to people living with disabilities in Nyarugenge and Nyamagabe Districts as part of the Year 2019 as the Year of Tolerance.
“The progress, development and prosperity we enjoy today in the United Arab Emirates goes hand in hand with a balanced foreign policy based on the moderation, tolerance, humanitarian assistance and political transparency that allow our country to gain greater respect for its diplomatic presence and to strengthen its friendly relations with its neighbors and its relations around the world. On December 02 of each year, we reflect on the achievements of our country and what we need to accomplish in the next year. Our global development program aims to manage the present and plan for the future, and compete confidently on the world stage with appropriate planning, technological know-how and our considerable human capital – the most valuable resource important country. Our leaders have declared 2019 the Year of Tolerance, which reinforces the fact that we are a country where more than 200 different nationalities live in an atmosphere of openness, mutual respect and coexistence based on the principle of tolerance”, he added.
As part of the celebration of this Year of Tolerance in the UAE, a 45-minute video film reviewing the history of the UAE was shown at the Islamic Cultural Center in Kigali on December 18.
It was also the occasion to approach Expo 2020 which will be organized for six months in the UAE and in which 200 countries, including Rwanda, will participate. During the celebration of the National Day in UAE at the end of last November in Kigali, some images of this Expo 2020 were shown to the Guests. (End)