On Wednesday evening, Dec. 4, 2019, members of the International Committee of Human Fraternity (ICHF) met Mr. António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, in the organization's headquarters in New York, USA. The committee held its fourth meeting, attended by the UN Secretary-General.
During the meeting, the members reviewed the efforts exerted by the ICHF, the initiatives they have adopted which they are working to implement in the next stage. The universality of the message is one aim the committee seeks to achieve, focusing on the human being, and going beyond interfaith and inter-civilizational dialogue. They stressed that the main goal of the committee has been to provide a suitable environment that allows everyone to coexist with the others, together as one family. This environment disqualifies ideologies and works to highlight the common positive elements among religions. The suggested perception of the Abraham's Family House in Abu Dhabi, capital of the UAE, was also reviewed, with the aim of encouraging dialogue among the various religions and cultures.
During the meeting, the members of the committee stressed the importance of translating the Human Fraternity Document (HFD) into an international academic curriculum to be taught to all students around the world in the various educational stages. The HFD should also be made available in various languages in the service of academic research at the postgraduate level at universities and research centers. They also stressed that the committee’s visit to the UN today will open up fields for cooperation in the near future, especially with regard to the UNESCO, in the areas of educating and training students and teachers on accepting the others and adopting the value of human fraternity.
Cardinal Miguel Ángel Ayuso, Chairman of the Supreme Committee for Human Fraternity (SCHF), President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue in the Holy See, and Judge Muḩammed ‛Abdes-Salām, Secretary-General of ICHF, delivered a joint message, the first of its kind, from the two greatest religious symbols, His Holiness Pope Francis Pope of the Vatican, and His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Prof. Ahmed Aṭ-Ṭayyeb, to Mr. Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General.
The message delivered by the members of the ICHF to the UN Secretary-General, during his meeting them at the UN Headquarters in New York, included the announcement of the fourth of February as the International Day of Human Fraternity, to commemorate the signing of the HFD on the same day of 2019 in Abu Dhabi. It also included the call for a summit engaging religious and political leaders to participate in finding practical procedures to implement the principles of human fraternity and achieve its practical goals. The message also included an indication of the significance of working together to translate the principles of human fraternity, culture of tolerance, and coexistence into a tangible reality in the human life.
On his part, the UN Secretary-General thanked and appreciated H.E. the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, and H.H. Pope Francis, Pope of the Catholic Church, for creating the HFD. He added that it is a positive model for combating the speech of hatred and a new way to reduce religious persecution. To him, it is also a practical application of respecting religions, and a direct and authentic message to all believers that diversity in religion forms a Divine wisdom in the same way as the difference in color, gender and language.
Guterres stated, “Launching such an initiative by Al-Azhar Grand Imam and the Pope of the Vatican is greatly welcomed. The Jewish community also participates. This is akin to a dream”. He pointed out that signing the HFD by the two largest religious symbols in the world reflects the universality of its message, including the need to respect and protect the principle of religious freedom. He expressed his admiration of the diversity of the committee in charge of achieving the goals of the HFD. He also welcomed cooperation and joint coordination with the Secretary-General of the Supreme Committee for Human Fraternity, especially with regard to confronting the speech of hatred and rejecting the other. He called for the necessity of converting the text of the HFD into a collection of legislations to facilitate its implementation.
At the end of the meeting, members of the Supreme Committee for Human Fraternity expressed their appreciation of the United Nations, headed by Mr. Antonio Guterres, and their support of the HFD. They stressed that this support places a great responsibility on them, preparing them to exert the utmost efforts to accelerate translating the items of the HFD on the factual ground, achieving global peace and security. They confirmed their full determination to exert all efforts and turn all expectations into tangible results within the humanitarian field.
The ICHF Secretary General, Judge Muḩammed ‛Abdes-Salām, affirmed that this meeting represents a great support for the committee, and reflects how greatly international institutions are interested in the efforts calling for human fraternity, especially since this HFD is the most important humanitarian document in the modern era as it was signed by the two leading religious symbols, H.E. the Grand Imam and H.H. Pope Francis. He also stressed the need for concerted efforts between the various international institutions and the ICHF, and to work together to promote the culture of tolerance and human fraternity.