Tolerance in the UAE

As-salamu Alaykum, or peace be upon you, is a greeting exchanged by millions of people in differentlanguagesindifferentplacesacrosstheworld. In the UAE, we often hear an abbreviated version, Salam. The UAE, to me, remains a place where this salutationisawayoflife.Emiratisdowishpeopleto live in peace, and they practice what they preach. The year 2021 marks a decade since my first visit to the UAE. As a European expatriate who spent nearly a year living with an Emirati family in their home in Abu Dhabi, I feel it is my duty and responsibility to give my testament to this experience. The truth is, I could not wish for a better place or different people to go through the pandemic with. During a time, which caused many people to feel lonely and anxious, I felt safe and cared about by people who have known me only for a few years. I was treated as a family member, and my religion or beliefs were never a source of anguish, neither for me nor my host. Their kids, only five- and six-years-old at the time, upon seeing a rosary on my night table, pointed out the similarity to their baba (dad)’s praying beads. Some features I find commonly among my Emirati friends are inclusivity, hospitality, and open-mindedness. They are usually the first ones to celebrate any occasion and mark holidays observed by me with gifts. It is important for them that I know they love and appreciate me. When I lived in their home, I was always included in family gatherings and celebrations, and often I would sit down to eat with the family. Being a former cabin crew and living on different continents, I was fortunate to travel to over 70 countries. Of all places, something that amazed me was seeing people of different faith stepping out from their cars parked next to one another in Jebel Ali and proceeding to their respective temples. St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, the Hindu temple, the Mor Ignatius Jacobite Orthodox Church, and St Mina Coptic Orthodox Church. When the plans were unveiled for the construction of the Abrahamic House of Fraternity, I was not even surprised anymore. I realised I take the way of life created here for granted. I have gotten used to the morning call to prayer and learnt it gives me solace and a sense of peace. Perhaps it is one of its purposes after all. ■ ELIZABETH OLEJNIK UAE