‘Tolerance is the tool for prosperity,’ says VP

ABU DHABI: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, lauded President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s declaration to make the year 2019 as the Year of Tolerance.

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid stressed on the importance of consolidating the values of tolerance, rejecting extremism and trying to be open to welcome the diverse cultures and its people, as a general approach by all segments of society including the government and private sectors.

TRANSFORM

“We seek to transform the value of tolerance into sustainable institutional work for the benefit of our people.

“We need government policies that consolidate tolerance and profound community studies that help spread

the principles of tolerance among the new generations.”

Sheikh Mohammed also called for making the Year of Tolerance a year of achievements, projects, initiatives and programmes that reflect the importance of the values of tolerance, particularly at the present time.

He emphasised that the UAE must lead the intellectual, cultural and media productions that consolidate the values of tolerance and openness to others in the Arab world and in the region.

Sheikh Mohammed believes that tolerance and pluralism are among the most important indicators of the advancement of countries, and that difference is one of the most important components of integrated societies.

He said, “We boast neither of our lofty buildings, nor of our wide streets nor of our huge markets but of the values of tolerance the UAE is marked by.”

VP TWEETS

Sheikh Mohammed tweeted: “Brothers and sisters: the UAE President has given his instructions

for next year 2019 to be the Year of Tolerance in the UAE, while aiming to strengthen the global role played by the UAE as a capital of coexistence and civilisational convergence and consolidating this value that Zayed wanted to root amongst the communities of UAE.”

“Tolerance is the title given to advanced societies with respect to its intellectuality and its humane nature, it is a tool for cultural empowerment for the stability and prosperity of nations.

“In 2019, we will be trying to institutionalise this value and to lead the intellectual, media and research production movement to promote this value in our region, which has suffered greatly because of fanatic ideas, sects and parties”, he said.

DIVERSE SOCIETY

“With Khalifa’s announcement of 2019 as the Year of Tolerance, we recall the great heritage that Sheikh Zayed founded on tolerance and today characterises UAE’S diverse society. The world today needs such humane values that should be further promoted and encouraged for the betterment of the future generations.”