World renowned religious and community leaders join the UAE initiative to pray together to end the coronavirus pandemic and guide humanity to a cure. The event was organised by the Ministry of Tolerance in cooperation with the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity.
During the mass prayer, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance, was at the forefront of participating religious leaders, assuring them that fraternity unites all human beings in facing dangers that threaten existence while hoping that Allah Almighty will protect humanity from all threats and pandemics.
Two prominent members of the Indian community joined the prayer meet. Mr Surender Singh Kandhari, Chairman, Guru Nanak Darbar Sikh Temple, Dubai; and Raju Schroff, Representative of the Hindu Temple, Dubai prayed along with other religious scholars like Dr. Farouq Hamadeh, a Religious Advisor to the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court; Bishop Paul Hinder, Vicar Apostolic for Southern Arabia; Rabbi Yehuda Sarna, Executive Director and University Chaplain, Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life, NYU and Marcus Oates, Abu Dhabi President, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The event was streamed live on the ministry’s social networking accounts.
At the start of the session, Sheikh Nahyan said, “We meet today to pray to the Creator to eradicate the coronavirus and to inspire us with the ability, cooperation, solidarity and joint action in the face of this affliction. We ask God Almighty to show mercy and care to all the scholars and doctors and those working in the field of healthcare. We pray to God to ensure our sincere efforts to discover the means of prevention and treatment from the virus are successful. We pray that we can work together to face this pandemic that has been affecting everyone without discrimination. This prayer is considered a suitable event for destroying divisions between humans, and an important guide on the meanings of love, fraternity and peace.”
Sheikh Nahyan added, “In the UAE of Zayed Al Khair, together, we announce that this prayer for humanity is a wonderful example of our strong commitment to cultivating positive human relations between people everywhere.”
He concluded his speech by asking God to “accept our prayers and supplications, and to give us hope and ability in the face of this pandemic, and make us all an example embodying cooperation and joint action between all human beings, out of the understanding that He is the King of kings and He is the Almighty, Capable of anything.”
The prayer, which was moderated by Dr. Sulaiman Al Jassim, Deputy Director, Board of Trustees of the Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Establishment, also witnessed the participation of several Emirati executive and intellectual leaders, including Dr. Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili Chairman of the Department of Community Development; Afra Al Sabri, Director-General at the Minister of Tolerance’s Office; Mariam Mohammad Al Rumaithi, Director-General of the Family Development Foundation; and Noura Al Suwaidi, Director of the General Women’s Union.