Write a story about tolerance through what I saw in the United Arab
Emirates and what is the importance of tolerance to live in safety
and accept the other.
Answers
Answer:
story about tolerance through what I saw in the United Arab Emirates
Going back to the past, to roots and origins, helps us understand many features of societies, whether political, economic, social or cultural. It helps us understand the nature of people, as well as the value system they adopt and the views they hold of themselves and others. Religion, or sacred belief, has undoubtedly been a main source of identity and knowledge in all societies, civilisations and cultures throughout history. However, the national identity of any country comes from a variety of sources. Besides religion, there are historical experiences that are both positive and negative, the influence of geographic location, the nature of economic activity, the pattern of social relations, and additional factors that are essential in gaining an understanding of a society, at any place and time.
If we seek to apply this general framework to the UAE, in order to understand tolerance as a key feature of its national character, we should answer several key questions. These questions preoccupy many around the world, and particularly those outside the Gulf states and Arab region. One of the most pressing questions is: why is the UAE renowned for embracing, practising and calling for tolerance, to the extent that it has become a global icon of tolerance, while being part of a region plagued by religious and sectarian conflict, where abhorrent manifestations of hatred, fanaticism and radicalism persist? Is it a coincidence that more than 200 nationalities, combining various cultures, ideologies, religions, ethnicities and beliefs, enjoy an unparalleled environment of coexistence in the UAE, without instigating social, cultural or religious tension?
Coincidence?
Is it a coincidence that the UAE is the only Gulf country to have been visited by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al Azhar when they signed the Human Fraternity Document, or that it is the most tolerant country regarding non-Muslim places of worship in the Arabian Gulf region? Is it a coincidence that the UAE embodies the most tolerance through the words and actions of its leadership, or that it ranks first globally in official development aid, in proportion to its national income (1.31 per cent, whereas the global percentage set by the United Nations is 0.7 per cent)? Is it also a coincidence that UAE humanitarian aid has reached all countries of the world, from east to west, irrespective of religious, ethnic or ideological considerations, in an exceptional manifestation of the humanitarian meaning of tolerance?
To answer these questions, we should delve into the roots of tolerance within UAE society, which reach far back in history and spans multiple elements and sources. Geography played a role, as did the economic activity specific to the UAE, while the nature of social relations and interactions with different religions and belief systems also had an impact. The role of leadership and the adoption of its directions and values was also important, as well as a range of other considerations that together constitute a central frame of reference to understand how tolerance evolved in the UAE.
The values of tolerance the UAE adopts are not new in its history. These values are the very foundation of the UAE’s approach to peace, development and stability, and underpin the way in which it tackles terrorism, extremism, intolerance and hatred worldwide