Common aim: Wives push peace

A world torn apart by bigotry can turn to the UAE for a solution that works, the head of the Diplomatic Wives’ Circle in Dubai said.

Larissa Krasnogor, Chairperson of the Peaceful Co-Existence Is Our Common Aim campaign and wife of the Russian Consul General, said: "The UAE has made it possible and has set an example for others to follow.

"The UAE has demonstrated that mutual cooperation and cultural engagement between communities and individuals at all levels of society is possible," she added.

Cultural engagement

Krasnogor – who has a doctoral degree in Arabic literature – and six other diplomats’ wives lent their support to the campaign held on Monday at the Dubai Public Library.

"To achieve peaceful co-existence, we should promote cultural engagement. And being the wives of diplomats, our duty is to promote the cultural engagement between our people," she said.

Mutual respect

Abeer Al Najar, wife of Egypt’s Consul General, said that co-existence is not an empty mantra but forms the foundation of peace, justice and social development.

"The UAE is a model for multi-culturalism as people of different backgrounds live here together and ethnic and cultural clashes do not exist," said Al Najar.

Co-existence, she said, means being able to break the barriers between people – and respecting differences. Aza, wife of the Sudanese Consul General, said peaceful co-existence is made possible through education. She stressed that a multi-culturally-oriented education can help defeat fundamentalism and extremism by reaching a common ground and mutual respect across religions and cultures.

"This country is an ideal example of cultural co-existence," said Aza. She pointed out how non-Muslims in the UAE are able to freely practise their faith, use their language or follow their culture. Eman Abdullah, President of the International Women’s Cultural Forum and the campaign organiser, said ignorance can be defeated when knowledge is enriched by promoting interaction instead of clashing of cultures.

Social disease insurance

"Knowledge empowers and strengthens individuals, families, communities and nations. Knowledge is an insurance against any form of social disease like racism, inequality and violence. Islam urges every Muslim to seek knowledge," Eman said. She added the UAE leads in boosting education promoting mutual acceptance, pointing to the more than 200 nationalities the UAE hosts.