Interview with the Chargé d'affaires of the UAE embassy in Victoria, Ahmed Al Neyadi |31 December 2019

UAE Chargé d'affaires Ahmed Al Neyadi

‘Religions can become involved in getting people to unite and work together’

Religions can become involved in getting all persons who have faith in God and faith in human fraternity to unite and work together.

His Holiness Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmad Al-Tayyeb released a joint declaration in February this year following His Holiness Pope Francis’ apostolic journey to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from February 3-5.

The document may serve as a guide for future generations to advance a culture of mutual respect in the awareness of the great divine grace that makes all human beings brothers and sisters who love one another.

This is what everyone hopes and seeks to achieve with the aim of finding a universal peace that all can enjoy in this life.

Part of the declaration reads: “We, who believe in God and in the final meeting with Him and His judgment, on the basis of our religious and moral responsibility, and through this Document, call upon ourselves, upon the leaders of the world as well as the architects of international policy and world economy, to work strenuously to spread the culture of tolerance and of living together in peace; to intervene at the earliest opportunity to stop the shedding of innocent blood and bring an end to wars, conflicts, environmental decay and the moral and cultural decline that the world is presently experiencing.”

This week, Seychelles NATION caught up with the Chargé d'affaires of the UAE embassy in Victoria, Ahmed Al Neyadi, and he spoke about the issue of brotherhood. Mr Al Neyadi discussed the document, some of its fruits, and how other religions can become greater involved.

Seychelles NATION: What is the importance of this document?

Ahmed Al Neyadi: This document is very important, for its contents must be proposed in different ways at an institutional level, community level, academic level, and others. However, the Vatican president said that “this document can arrive at peace, and that there is a concrete compromise of action, that is to bring together and inspire the community.”

Seychelles NATION: Then, what is the next step?

Ahmed Al Neyadi: We must find ways so to implement what happened historically in Abu Dhabi, with two religious figures – His Holiness Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al Azhar Al Tayyeb. This can be an element that can help every community to take a specific compromise to make our society better, to give and bring this balm that can bring a little bit of humanity, fraternity, peace and coexistence.

Seychelles NATION: Don’t you agree that this document needs more work on it?

Ahmed Al Neyadi: We must work more serenely but more intensely to live that in our own conscience, our family units, in our society and workplaces, and also everywhere we go, we must bring a little bit of this spirit, which the world so greatly needs.

Seychelles NATION: What is the role of the higher committee?

Ahmed Al Neyadi: Responding to the first steps that the higher committee will take to implement the objectives of the Abu Dhabi Document, a committee has been created which is very important but, at the same time, this committee won’t do anything other than encourage the communities, the communities of pastorals, the academic institutions so that they commit themselves to read, comment and promote inter-religious dialogue through the contents of that declaration.

Seychelles NATION: What do you expect from this document to achieve?

Ahmed Al Neyadi: To this end, by mutual cooperation, the Catholic Church and Al-Azhar announced and pledged to convey this document to authorities, influential leaders, persons of religion all over the world, appropriate regional and international organisations, organisations within civil society, religious institutions and leading thinkers. They further pledge to make known the principles contained in this declaration at all regional and international levels, while requesting that these principles be translated into policies, decisions, legislative texts, courses of study and materials to be circulated.

Al-Azhar and the Catholic Church have also asked that this document becomes the object of research and reflection in all schools, universities and institutes of formation, thus helping to educate new generations to bring goodness and peace to others, and to be defenders everywhere of the rights of the oppressed and of the least of our brothers and sisters.

In conclusion, our aspiration is that:

- This declaration may constitute an invitation to reconciliation and fraternity among all believers, indeed among believers and non-believers, and among all people of good will;

- This declaration may be an appeal to every upright conscience that rejects deplorable violence and blind extremism; an appeal to those who cherish the values of tolerance and fraternity that are promoted and encouraged by religions;

- This declaration may be a witness to the greatness of faith in God that unites divided hearts and elevates the human soul;

- This declaration may be a sign of the closeness between East and West, between North and South, and between all who believe that God has created us to understand one another, cooperate with one another and live as brothers and sisters who love one another.

This is what we hope and seek to achieve with the aim of finding a universal peace that all can enjoy in this life.

Seychelles NATION: Thank you Mr Al Neyadi.

Gerard Govinden