Sheikh Mahfouz bin Bayyah – Secretary General of the Abu Dhabi Peace Forum

On‌ their International Day, peacemakers ​may⁣ have ‍the​ right to sing‌ with Al-Mutanabbi:

Eid anyway,‌ O Eid, I returned * with what passed or‌ with ‌your order to‍ renew

Your ‍Peace has returned, and the world around us is on the brink of a precipice about to slide‍ into a global war furnace that will not last or ashes‍ Your Peace has returned, and human space is saturated with expressions of hatred, and the bloodshed in ⁢many areas continues because⁢ of the fool, the merchants‍ of death.

Does ⁤this scene mean that peace ⁢has ‍lost its relevance⁣ and effectiveness? ⁣This is what the enemies of humanity promise and‍ desire. Peace, like health, are ⁢blessings that are only appreciated when they are ‌lost and gone.

The ⁤Abu Dhabi Peace Forum: A Decade of Promoting ‍Peace and Coexistence

A decade ago, on a beautiful spring day in Abu Dhabi, an elite group of scholars, philosophers, and masters of culture gathered at Dar Zayed, ‍the House of Tolerance and Human Brotherhood. They gathered out of a sincere awareness of the sad conditions of the Islamic ‌world and the human and ⁢urban cost of what was happening around them.

At that inaugural meeting of⁢ the Abu Dhabi Peace‌ Forum, the participants heard the sponsor of ‌the forum, His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs of ⁣the United Arab Emirates, exhort⁤ them: “You scholars​ are responsible for enlightenment and insight. Religion Islam has been and will continue ⁣to be⁤ an enlightened religion that⁤ calls people to insight, reflection, and⁣ coexistence, therefore, we appreciate your historical role in extinguishing the ‌fires‌ of contention, bringing perspectives ​closer, which enlighten minds, and unite hearts on the principle of peace.”

Those guiding words in⁢ that historic forum paved the way for a new⁤ civilizational journey, the journey of the Abu Dhabi⁢ Peace Forum.

Achievements and Initiatives

Many successes have⁤ been‌ achieved, and many⁢ fields have been⁤ launched. Research‌ projects have been⁣ launched‌ to⁤ investigate our Islamic and humanitarian ⁤heritage to‌ revive the atrophied values of peace and reveal hidden jurisprudence. Many​ field initiatives for reform ​and reconciliation have seen ​the light, extending hands to all those ‌who love peace on the ⁢wider humanitarian horizon, through what the Scientific ⁢Chairman of the ‍Forum called the “Oli Baqiyya ​Method”‍ His Excellency Sheikh Abdullah bin ⁣Bayyah, which is based on stimulating communication and integration between the closely related circles, the circle of Islamic particularity, the circle of Abrahamic orthodoxy, and the circle of human commonality.

A‌ wonderful decade was enough to shape the pattern of peace, refocus its values, and‌ furnish the arena ⁢with ⁣its‍ concepts. The peace we seek was ‍not a word on the tongue, ⁢nor a passing situation where guns fell silent; it⁣ was the birth of a new human being, with ‍a new vision ⁤of⁤ the world, based on the values‌ of peace. He values virtue,⁢ rebuilds ​himself and his relationship with his race and ⁢with the other nations of creatures next to him.

A ​Call for a New Development Model

The peace that the ‌Forum seeks is the call‌ to create a development model that​ provides well-being, prosperity, and stability ⁤for all,⁢ a world where the fruit of the mind is ⁤spent for ‌the‍ good ‌of all and is not monopolized by the ​stronger than the other,⁣ monopolized by the rich, a world where nations compete in goodness, according to ⁤the vision​ expressed by ​His Highness the President ‍Sheikh Mohammed ‌bin Zayed, may God protect him, he said, “The policy of the‍ United Arab Emirates will continue⁣ to ‍be supportive of peace and stability in our region and the world, an assistant​ to brother ‍and friend, and a call for wisdom and cooperation for the benefit and ⁣progress of ⁣humanity. We will⁣ continue with ‍our‍ firm approach to strengthening bridges of partnership, ⁢dialogue, and ⁤effective and balanced relationships based on trust, credibility, and mutual respect.” And with the countries of the world⁣ to ensure stability and prosperity⁢ for all.

Facing Challenges‌ and Looking to the Future

Today, after a decade has passed, people who love peace face ⁢challenges in the current context that test the⁤ strength of the values ​of peace and the strength of the bonds of cooperation and solidarity they have ⁣built.

Our conviction ‍at the ‍Abu⁤ Dhabi Peace Forum is that no matter how loud the voices of hatred and war become, and‍ no ⁣matter how weak ‌the voices of peace,⁤ the voices of reason,⁤ religion, and values, under⁤ the impact of tragic events and bloody conflicts, it remains necessary for those who love peace not to despair of each other, and not to give in to calls for reviving the flame of the faithful human conscience. Better tomorrow, where there is peace and ⁣harmony.

The power of peace is in its essence, and its power is that it ​is a beginning and​ an end.