Tolerance In The United Arab Emirates
The dictionary defines tolerance as the ability or willingness to tolerate the existence of opinions or behavior that one dislikes or disagrees with. The key word here would be ‘willingness.’ How willing are we to tolerate a bad idea. How willing are we to make friends with the weird kid in class? How willing are to be kinder than necessary to the less fortunate? The United Arab Emirates has given us an answer that rings out crisp and clear. We are tolerant not only to beliefs but to people, to animals, to ideas, to religions and different faiths. To be tolerant is not a task, but a duty. If we as humans cannot be supportive of one another, what use if humanity?
With over 9.68 million residents and less than two million Emirati Nationals, UAE is a diverse country. People from all over the world have found a safe haven in this city of dreams. The values of a tolerant nation are seen in its diverse food options, temples, mosques and churches and even in clothing shops where a variety of cultural attire is found. And like any realized country, the UAE too has realized that we are separated only by the borders that we make ourselves. From space, we can see Earth as a whole. There are no lines drawn and no boundaries that keep us apart. The differences we make need to be demolished and the leaders of this great country are helping us do just that. Tolerance is not a value you need to learn by-heart in school. It is within all of us and it our choice to show it or not. This ideology of tolerance has been embedded into the sands of UAE’s past and etched into the rocks of mankind. Even before the federation, there were plenty of incidents where our great leader H.H Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan exhibited extreme amounts of tolerance and giving in his nature. He has shown us what a true leader is like and the quality that has shown out the most is his tolerant nature.
The tolerance bridge, Tolerance Day and Year of tolerance are shining example of how UAE is setting an example for other countries to join in this quest for humanity. 18 houses of worship including churches and temples were awarded licenses.Whether it be patching up cultural or linguistic differences, a tolerant individual accepts people for who they are. It is during childhood when the brain is molded and ideas formed. Hence, the UAE had found the perfect way to create a tolerant atmosphere. By implementing tolerant policies like anti-bullying, the children of UAE are shaping up to be global and world citizens. The ideology of tolerance has grown so important in today’s world that a minister has been appointed to keep this idea in place. It has extended to sports and religion too. Pope Francis visited the UAE this year and was greeted with much pomp and splendor. Despite being an Islamic country, the willingness to accept other people for who they are won the hearts of the millions of expatriates in the UAE. Special Olympic World Summer Games aimed at empowering people of determination and eradicating differences.
Besides accepting religious, cultural and linguistic differences, UAE has also promoted women empowerment. Women are no longer a by-product of society but an active member whose views and opinions are heard out. It is only fitting to say that the UAE has practiced what it has preached and its values are its deeds. Tolerance is a virtue that must be practiced because in this ever-growing world, we will see people of different colors, shapes, sizes with different abilities, values and beliefs. It is fundamental that we learn to accept them as human beings and place ourselves in par with them and not above them. Dr Hamad Al Shaibani, Chairman of the Higher Committee of World Tolerance Summit, said: “Tolerance is a concept that incorporates other values, specifically the human ones. The issues of fanaticism and not accepting the other need to be highlighted and examined. Wars and famines resulted from intolerance and fanaticism across worldwide communities.” He also added that 'The UAE was the best place to host the summit since it has proven itself as a tolerant country capable of hosting a multinational society which happily coexists’.
I am lucky to live in a country that promotes world peace and places other’s need before their own. A loving smile, a gentle word or even a pat on the back are tolerant attitudes that show appreciation to other people. We are not only confined with the label of being UAE residents but global citizens of the world tomorrow. In the rat race for power and money, human values are often forgotten, deemed unimportant. As UAE grown in power, they have shown that is possible to be virtuous and successful at the same time. And so as studens, I am proud to say that I have tried incorporating tolerance into my behavior for a better tomorrow and learning to consider your classmates and people around you as your peers and willing to be open to their personality is tolerance of the highest level.
