The Higher Committee of Human Fraternity Meets with Pope Francis of the Catholic Church and the Grand Imam of al-Azhar for the First Time to Present the Abrahamic Family House

The Higher Committee also Welcomes Irina Bokova, former Director-General of UNESCO, who becomes the ninth member to join the committee, which includes a diverse set of international religious, educational and cultural leaders

ABU DHABI, UAE, Nov. 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Higher Committee of Human Fraternity, a group of religious leaders, educational scholars and cultural leaders from across the world, met with His Holiness Pope Francis of the Catholic Church and the Grand Imam of al-Azhar, His Eminence Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, for the first time to present updates on the Abrahamic Family House, one of the first projects the Higher Committee will help guide, to be located in Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

 

 

This meeting comes at the time of the announcement of the addition of Irina Bokova, the former Director-General of UNESCO, to the committee. 

Bokova served as UNESCO's Director-General, for two terms, from 2009 to 2017, during which she earned a reputation for advocating strongly for religious tolerance and peaceful co-existence. In addition, Bokova was Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, as well as Ambassador of Bulgaria to France, and the Unesco, and as Representative of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria to the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie.

The Higher Committee presented the Abrahamic Family House to His Holiness Pope Francis of the Catholic Church and the Grand Imam of al-Azhar, His Eminence Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb in the Vatican, a project that reflects the aspirations behind the Document on Human Fraternity. A church, mosque and synagogue will share a collective space for the first time, serving as a community for inter-religious dialogue and exchange, and nurturing the values of peaceful co-existence and acceptance among different beliefs, nationalities and cultures. The design of the Abrahamic Family House was awarded to globally renowned architect, Sir David Adjaye OBE, in September 2019.

It is one of the first projects the Higher Committee will help guide, in addition to their role in stewarding the principles and aspirations of the Document of Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together, signed by His Holiness Pope Francis of the Catholic Church and the Grand Imam of al-Azhar, His Eminence Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), during the historic Papal visit in February 2019.