MABDA Report 16/12/2013

Prince Charles and Prince Ghazi of Jordan to celebrate Christian Community from the Middle-East

Prince Charles is known for his keen understanding and study of the various religions that are practiced not only in Britain but abroad. He is recongnised for fostering a dialogue between the West and Islam. In a speech titled “Unity in Faith” at Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt in March 2006, The Prince of Wales said: “We may have a human weakness to criticize and to compete with each other. But what we have in common, as people of faith, calls us beyond this towards mutual respect and understanding.”

“In the season of Advent, when Christians look forward to celebrating the birth of Christ and the season of peace and goodwill to all men, The Prince of Wales wants to draw attention to the importance of harmony and understanding between people of all faiths,” noted Clarence House.
http://www.royalcentral.co.uk/charlesandcamilla/the-prince-of-wales-and-prince-ghazi-of-jordan-to-celebrate-christian-community-from-the-middle-east-21051#.Uq6_7jjxvrd

OIC chief praises pope’s efforts to revitalize interfaith dialogue

Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), has commended the efforts exerted by Pope Francis to revitalize interfaith dialogue between Christians and Muslims.

Ihsanoglu made the comment during his first meeting with the pope at the Vatican on Friday.

The secretary-general pointed out that today the presence of Muslims in historically Christian countries has expanded, while some OIC countries either have native Christian communities or have witnessed in recent years the arrival of Christians as guest workers.
http://www.arabnews.com/news/492916

UAE Plans Mosques for Foreigners, Deaf

Deaf and non-Arabic speaking Muslims will now be able to better understand their faith after UAE’s Sharjah religious authorities announced their plans to offer Friday’s sermons in five languages, along with translating them into sign language.

“The department, geared up to meet needs of all segments of society, has hired and dedicated 48 mosques to give the Friday sermon in Urdu, Malayalam, Pashto, Tamil, and English languages,” Shaikh Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, Chairman of The Department of Islamic Affairs in Sharjah (DIAS), told Khaleej Times on Sunday, December 15.
http://www.onislam.net/english/news/middle-east/467041-uae-plans-mosques-for-foreign-deaf-muslims.html