The Pope’s Christmas message is timely. The world is embroiled in strife, racial discrimination, religious disharmony etc, etc. Unless we embrace tolerance and peace, we can’t expect to leave a better world for our children (“Pope focuses on high walls of indifference, urges sympathy,” Dec.26, Gulf Today).

It is a clarion call from His Holiness Pope Francis to foster peace especially in the troubled Middle East. The Pope cited the Syrian people “who still see no end to the hostilities that have rent their country over the last decade’’ as well as Israel, where Jesus “was born as the savior of mankind and where so many people — struggling but not discouraged — still await a time of peace, security and prosperity.’’

While the Pontiff’s message highlighted the Middle East crisis, it was universal in essence. In light of this I am proud to be living in the UAE. I feel the UAE shines a great example of tolerance to the world.

By declaring 2019 as the Year of Tolerance the UAE took a giant leap in that direction. The country is known for promoting values of cross-cultural and religious interaction, tolerance and peaceful coexistence. It is a model that is much respected by Pope Francis.

While receiving a UAE delegation in Madrid recently, the Pope said ‘the UAE is a role model of coexistence and human fraternity and represents a meeting place among various civilisations and cultures’. The world needs to give peace a chance.

Mohammad Rizwan
By email