Grand Imam, Pope to Mark Human Fraternity Int'l Day

Al-Azhar Grand Imam Dr. Ahmed El-Tayeb will mark the International Day of Human Fraternity on Thursday, in a virtual event hosted by Abu Dhabi.

The global celebration, due today, is held under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, who sponsored the Human Fraternity document.

It is held on the anniversary of the signing of the document on human fraternity between the Grand Imam and the Pope of the Vatican in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi, which was signed on February 4, 2019.

Pope Françis, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, members of the Higher Committee for Human Fraternity, and other international figures are participating in the virtual event.

The International Day of Human Fraternity is set to be marked around the world for the first time, after the United Nations (UN), during its Seventy-Fifth Session, proclaimed 4th February as an international day for human fraternity, upon an initiative presented by the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Egypt.

It called on all member states, the United Nations system, and others to observe every 4 February in a manner they would each consider appropriate to promote interreligious and intercultural dialogue.

The Assembly resolution comes within the framework of the international organization's policies and decisions calling for rapprochement between cultures, promoting peace, and abandoning violence and hatred.

In February 2019, the UAE hosted the Global Conference of Human Fraternity, which coincided with the historic visit of El-Tayeb and Pope Francis to the UAE to promote international dialogue on coexistence and fraternity, where they addressed intellectual extremism, and established new rules for interfaith relations based on respecting differences.

It produced the Human Fraternity Document aimed at promoting global peace and coexistence, which was signed by the Grand Imam and Pope of the Vatican. The document called for the launch of several initiatives that will consolidate the values of interfaith tolerance and coexistence.