A bishop of the Anglican Church hailed UAE's example of inter-religious harmony which other countries may follow for their own benefit.
Most Rev. Clive Handford, Anglican Bishop in Cyprus and the Gulf, said: "Christians for many years have felt very welcome in the UAE."
Bishop Handford yesterday led a special ceremony naming Rev. John Weir as permanent chaplain of Dubai, Sharjah and the Northern Emirates.
The bishop, appointed eight years ago and is based in Nicosia, also praised the UAE's leadership for their tolerance of people from other faiths.
"We appreciate the way in which the Rulers, especially the President, His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the late His Highness Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Nahyan and other members of the ruling families have been very concerned that Christians should be able to meet and worship in buildings of their own."
He was previously assigned as a deacon in Abu Dhabi in the late 1970s and early 80s. "I've seen this country grow and experienced the tolerance that has been shown to Christians by the country's leaders and we feel very grateful indeed for this."
Hundreds of members of the Anglican community and other churches attended the traditional service at the Holy Trinity Church last night. Rev. Weir said: "Dubai is a bridge between the East and the West. And the Holy Trinity Church Dubai, St Martin's Church Sharjah and Christ Church Jebel Ali all reflect the cultural mix of Christians unseen anywhere else in the world.
"Across boundaries of faith and culture, good people share the same hopes and fears. Good Muslims and good Christians have always respected one another.
"There is great respect between different religions in the UAE and the Muslim authorities see that the religious freedoms of guest workers are protected."
Different churches from many countries meet in the Holy Trinity compound in Dubai under the care of the Anglican priest.
Rev. Weir follows in the footsteps of the respected pastor of Holy Trinity, Rev. Dennis Gurney, who served the Anglican Church here for 17 years.
Rev. Weir will cater to the UAE's Christian community which has grown from a small church in 1984 to serving a Friday turn-out of 20,000 from 86 congregations who worship in 32 different languages.
Gulf News
