https://arab.news/mxmj3
- The ceremony was held at the Founders Memorial in the UAE capital
- The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Pope Francis congratulated them in pre-recorded messages
LONDON: Jordan’s King Abdullah II and his wife, Queen Rania, on Saturday received the 2022 Zayed Award for Human Fraternity at a ceremony at the Founders Memorial in the UAE capital, Emirati news agency WAM reported.
The award, presented during a ceremony in Abu Dhabi that was attended by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, UAE minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, and his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Al Safadi, was “granted in appreciation of their efforts to promote human fraternity, mutual respect, and peaceful coexistence.”
Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmad Al-Tayeb congratulated the king and queen, and said the two were role models for fraternity and coexistence, in a recorded video message played during the ceremony.
In a separate recorded message, Pope Francis praised their “commitment to promoting the values of coexistence and dialogue between different religious traditions,” in fighting discrimination, and empowering women and the youth, the WAM statement said.
The award, which was also was also presented to Haitian humanitarian organization FOKAL. is organized by the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity, an independent international committee to promote human fraternity values in communities around the world, in line with the Document on Human Fraternity, signed by Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Pope Francis in Abu Dhabi in 2019.