Abu Dhabi, March 16th, 2008 (WAM) -- The Center for Information Affairs, affiliated to Deputy Prime Minister HH Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has organized a symposium on Religious Discourse and Cultural Communication Among Peoples with the participation of a number of Muslim and Christian figures, as well as researchers in religious fields.

The symposium opened with a speech by H.E. Jean Jeanbart, Metropolitan of Roman Catholic for Aleppo, in which he called for a minute of silence in memory and prayer for late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

He said late Sheikh Zayed was an example for piety and righteousness and was an advocate of love, dialogue, and interfaith coexistence.

The Metropolitan of Roman Catholic for Aleppo also paid tribute to the wise vision of President H. H. Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and his efforts to promote tolerance and fraternity in the United Arab Emirates, which is considered a unique experience in human coexistence in the international community.

''The country's openness serves the Arab and Islamic nation and constitutes a message that also serves the followers of religions all over the world, he said, noting to the diversity that prevails in the UAE, a country which hosts many nationalities from different races and faiths.

Metropolitan Jean Jeanbart pointed out that religious enlightenment has been considered a basic pillar of cultural building in the world.

He said, Our dear East is proud of being the cradle of divine religions and home of religions, human sense, moral values, and established social norms which facilitate and guide coexistence between human beings. He said that Islam and Christianity are based on ethics and good manners, such as earnestness, faithfulness, benevolence, tolerance, peacefulness, and affection.

The Metropolitan said that religious men in our countries agree on calling for tolerance, friendship, refusal of hatreds and enmities, and promotion of love and affection.

On his part, Father Robert Udulutsch, from St. Francis of Assisi Church in the United States, who is now on a visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), said the ideas presented in the symposium reflected the seriousness of the event and those who participated in it, with the aim to find ways for us to collaborate with the moral power that we have with our people to be instruments of peace.

Ali Al Hashimi, religious and judicial adviser to H.H. President?s Court, said the UAE, under the leadership of President H.H. Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan continues the path of the founding leader, late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, in supporting science, tolerance, and respect for religious men.

Al Hashimi affirmed Sheikh Khalifa's eagerness on promoting understanding and dialogue as a means for solving any problems.

Fr. Ninan P. Philip, Vicar, St. George orthodox cathedral in Abu Dhabi, expressed his profound appreciation for the genuine efforts made by the United Arab Emirates to bring all religions together and to promote the principle of human coexistence and civilizational communication between peoples.

Dr Ahmed Al Zamil, Head of Fatwa and Research Department in Abu Dhabi, emphasized that the UAE is a pioneer in encouraging meetings between religious men. He stressed the importance of dialogue, tolerance, and communication between the followers of different religions, with a view to bringing peace of mind to human being, indicating that this is the spirit and root of religion.

On his part, H.E. Father Nidal Abu Rejaili, Parish priest at the St Joseph's Cathedral in Abu Dhabi, expressed his thanks to Sheikh Khalifa and praised the openness and security prevailing in the UAE and the country's encouragement to interfaith dialogue, as well as the freedom it gives to the followers of the other religions to practice their religious rituals.

Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2008.