His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, Prof. Ahmad At-Tayyeb, met a number of senior religious leaders and intellectual and cultural symbols, participating in the Global Conference of Human Fraternity.  The conference kicked off at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.

His Eminence expressed his appreciation of the rich discussions held and the positive ideas proposed during the sessions and workshops of the conference that aim at emphasizing the human essence of religions, and the moral values and high principles included in their teachings. Such values and principles chart the path to human well-being and happiness, and open the doors wide to peace, coexistence and tolerance among the human beings with different religions and cultures.

His Eminence stressed the pivotal role and great responsibility placed on the shoulders of religious leaders who should set an example and form a role model for their followers in prevailing peace and love among people. They should work hard to build up bridges of dialogue and cooperation with others, the case which requires a courageous confrontation with those with extremist and isolationist ideas, whether those who go to extremes in understanding the teachings of religions or those who seek to exclude religion from human life and interactions entirely.

His Eminence explained that the hosting of this important conference by the United Arab Emirates confirms the sincere determination of this good country to support all noble ideas, and its abundant effort to foster the values of tolerance and coexistence, which we salute and commend.

The participants in the conference expressed their deep appreciation for the joint historic visit of His Eminence the Grand Imam and His Holiness the Pope of the Vatican to the United Arab Emirates. This visit has had connotations and implications that prove the sincere and undoubted determination of the two religious leaders to make every possible effort to foster the values of peace and to emphasize the human commonalities that all religions carry. They also praised Abu Dhabi for hosting this huge conference, which comes within the framework of the activities of the UAE’s declaration of 2019 a year of tolerance.

The United Arab Emirates will host a joint visit by His Eminence the Grand Imam and His Holiness the Pope of the Vatican, February 3-5, 2019, under the title "Human Fraternity", which is receiving unprecedented attention, locally, regionally and globally, with a massive coverage by more than 700 journalists and media professionals. This is the first visit of a Pope of the Vatican to the Arabian Peninsula. The visit also reflects the status of Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif and its Grand Imam, as the largest religious authority in the Muslim world, and as the institution that most expresses the tolerance of Islam and its moderate teachings.