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Over 10k turn up for 3-day Dubai tolerance convention

Dubai - The convention saw the scholars discuss the value of tolerance from different perspectives and explore its role in ensuring peace across the world.

Over 10,000 people of all faiths and nationalities came together for the three-day Al Manar International Tolerance Convention that ended last weekend. 
Muslim scholars and preachers from around the world - including Mufti Ismail Menk from Zimbabwe; Sheikh Assim Al Hakim of Saudi Arabia; Sheikh Said Rajeh of Canada; and Abdur Raheem Green of the UK - filled the Dubai World Trade Centre with messages of love, peace and harmony, inspiring the huge crowd of people who turned up for the event.
It was a gathering that was held under the patronage of Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum, wife of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
The convention, aligned with the UAE's year-long tolerance drive, saw the scholars discuss the value of tolerance from different perspectives and explore its role in ensuring peace across the world.
"At the moment, at the global level, we are in desperate need of the narrative of tolerance, mercy and peace. These wars and misunderstandings can be avoided. And to be able to co-exist peacefully is something that we need to keep reminding the world about, which is what this convention aimed to achieve," Mufti Menk told Khaleej Times. "People use religion in order to fight, whereas religion is there to help us respect each other. We will always have differences but that does not mean it leads us to war."
Coming all the way from Ras Al Khaimah, Mohamed Ansar, a young student who attended all three days of the convention with his parents, said: "We did not miss a single lecture in the entire convention. The last time the convention took place, I was just a sixth-grader, now I'm in junior college.
"Such conventions help us get a clear view of the moderate perception of Islam, which we further share and discuss with others. This way, we can spread the message of tolerance, peace and harmony far and wide." Another regular attendee was Mansoor Pasha who, along with his family, was supposed to fly to Bangalore for a wedding but decided to attend the tolerance convention instead.
saman@khaleejtimes.com