The interreligious center is inaugurated with a ceremony, the first sign of the signing of the document on the Brotherhood between the pontiff and the imam of al-Azhar. It houses a church, a mosque and a synagogue. Tomorrow morning a conference on interfaith relations is scheduled. Rabbi Lustig: Building bridges “between religious leaders and communities.”
Abu Dhabi () – This afternoon, with a solemn interreligious ceremony and in the presence of various authorities, the House of the Abrahamic Family will be inaugurated in Abu Dhabi, a building that represents a “milestone” in the dialogue between religions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where the memory of the passage of Pope Francis is still alive. Today’s inauguration, which will be attended by religious representatives and authorities, will be followed by a series of events throughout the weekend: from the Islamic Friday of prayer and the Jewish Saturday to the Christian Sunday. Located on the island of Saadiyat, its inauguration was originally scheduled for 2022, but it was postponed due to the extension of the construction works.
The House of the Abrahamic Family is one of the fruits of the Pope’s visit to the Emirates in February 2019. The first by a pontiff in the Gulf, during which the signing of the Human Brotherhood document with the imam of al -Azhar Ahmed el-Tayeb, in the presence of more than 400 religious leaders, with the aim of promoting coexistence between peoples and combating extremism. A place of learning, dialogue and worship for faithful of different religions, as presented by the then Vicar of South Arabia, Monsignor Paul Hinder, which houses a mosque, a church and a synagogue.
The structure is the creative work of David Adjaye OBE and is designed to foster solidarity and encounter, while preserving the distinctive character of each of the three faiths with their common descent from Abraham. Since its inauguration it will host daily activities and international conferences to promote cultural and religious coexistence between the different communities.
The opening ceremony will be followed tomorrow morning by a conference on interfaith relations. The local Jewish community will hold Shabbat prayers at the synagogue, with Chief Rabbi Yehuda Sarna leading the service. As for the Jewish community, on February 19, a Torah scroll donated by the President of the USA, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, will be introduced into the synagogue in a ceremony dedicated to it.
To supervise the activities of the Hogar de la Familia Abrahamica there is a Higher Committee of Human Fraternity, which dedicated its first efforts to the pioneering structure. Interviewed by the Times of Israel, the committee’s Jewish representative, Rabbi M. Bruce Lustig, a member emeritus of the Washington Jewish Congregation, spoke of an “important opportunity” for those who “believe in the power of faith and humanity.” The center, he added, “will help build bridges between religious leaders and communities and promote peace and harmony in an age too often defined by diversity” and indifference, if not mutual hatred.
The United Arab Emirates normalized its relations with Israel in 2020 as part of the “Abraham Accords” mediated by the Trump administration. Last September, on the second anniversary of the firm, 1,500 people gathered for the wedding of the Chief Rabbi of the United Arab Emirates, Levi Duchman, the largest Jewish wedding in the country’s history.
