Higher Committee of Human Fraternity calls for a worldwide prayer for humanity in response to the coronavirus

The Higher Committee of Human Fraternity launched a message to the whole world to make a "Prayer for Humanity" in view of the difficult situation being experienced by the health crisis of the COVID-19 disease, which has already left hundreds of thousands of deaths and millions of diagnosed cases all over the planet. The call made to all those "believers in God" and to "our brothers and sisters in humanity everywhere" urges them to beg God through prayer, each in his or her place and according to his or her religion or belief, for the "God, the All-Creator," to eradicate this terrible scourge. 

This Committee thus extends an invitation to all people in every corner of the globe to "do good deeds, observe fast, pray, and make devout supplications to God Almighty to end this pandemic. Each one from wherever they are and according to the teachings of their religion, faith, or sect, should implore God to lift this pandemic off us and the entire world, to rescue us all from this adversity, to inspire scientists to find a cure that can turn back this disease, and to save the whole world from the health, economic, and human repercussions of this serious pandemic."

May 14th is the date set for this prayer for humanity, which aims to collaborate in the fulfilment on the objectives of the document of Human Fraternity for peace and coexistence, sealed in February 2019 in Abu Dhabi during the historical visit of Pope Francis to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the first one made by a Supreme Pontiff to the lands of the Arabian Peninsula and in which a text of understanding between different religions and confessions was signed in order to work for fraternal coexistence between all, whatever the personal creed may be.  

The Higher Committee of Human Fraternity has thus arranged next Thursday as a day of prayer and petition for humanity. In this sense, this entity "invites all religious leaders and people around the world to respond to this call to beseech God Almighty to safeguard the world, to help mankind overcome this pandemic, to restore security, stability, health and prosperity, so that, after this affliction is over, our world will become a better place for all mankind."
 

The members of the Higher Committee also logically referred to science and medicine as essential tools to bring down the VIDOC-19 that continues to put thousands and thousands of lives at risk. "While we reaffirm the role of medicine and scientific research in fighting this pandemic, we should not forget to seek refuge in God, the All-Creator, as we face such severe crisis" the statement said.  

The Emirates played an important role in this initiative aimed at bringing different cultures and religions closer together with the aforementioned historical presence of the Pope on Emirate soil, where he met Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Supreme Deputy Commander of the Armed Forces, and Ahmed al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, to sign the document on “Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together” at the inter-religious meeting ceremony held at the Memorial dedicated to the Founder of Abu Dhabi, in the UAE capital. This text served as the basis for the development of the subsequent Higher Committee of Human Fraternity, whose task is to guarantee the application of that agreed in the document that ensures that all people live together peacefully within the fraternity and mutual respect regardless of the religion they profess; in this case on the basis of the great rapprochement that existed between Christianity and Islam in the UAE.

Muhammad bin Zayed al-Nahyan himself referred on the social network Twitter to this upcoming momentous event on Thursday, making a widespread call for this global prayer to overcome the great trance that the whole world is suffering: "On May 14, people everywhere will collectively join together in prayer for an end to coronavirus. Responding to the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity’s call, they will be united against this challenge. However our efforts play out, we need God's grace and mercy."
 

This great fraternal movement starts on the historic day of February 4, 2019, when Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed al-Tayeb, signed in Abu Dhabi the aforementioned historic document 'Human Fraternity for Peace and Coexistence', aimed at endorsing interreligious brotherhood and coexistence as a universal human bond, with the objective of uniting those communities separated by religion, politics or racism and of protecting the person himself, regardless of his confession, sex or origin.  

With this initiative, the Emirates has put itself forward as a country that supports tolerance and the struggle to guarantee freedom of worship. In fact, more than 200 different nationalities live together in this Arab nation, which shows the cultural diversity that it treasures. 2019 was a major boost for the Emirates in this direction, to the extent that President Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan designated it as the Year of Tolerance.  

In this way, tolerance and dialogue between Christians and Muslims were greatly supported by the presence of the Pope in the Arabian Peninsula during his visit to Abu Dhabi. Pope Francis' main mission was to bring a message of peace and interreligious coexistence. The declaration offered by the leaders of the Christian and Muslim world showed the demand for justice, equality, dignity, security and happiness for the entire world population. 

"In the name of God who has created all human beings equal in rights, duties and dignity, and who has called them to live together as brothers and sisters, to fill the earth and make known the values of goodness, love and peace" according to the text agreed upon in the Emirates.  

The document was signed in the presence of 400 religious and cultural leaders and representatives from all over the world and focused on some vital points, such as the defence of peace, the promotion of the culture of tolerance, the protection of places of worship and freedom of belief, the strengthening of the relationship between East and West, the dissemination of the concepts of morality and citizenship and the protection of the rights of women and children and the most vulnerable groups.