People must read to understand tolerance: UAE minister

Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of State for Tolerance.- Photo By Ryan Lim/Khaleej Times

Tolerance starts with reading a book and understanding what is unknown, UAE minister said on Thursday.
Speaking during the opening ceremony of the 10^th Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of State for Tolerance, said that to understand the true meaning of tolerance, people must be willing to "open the books we haven't read, be willing to read books, comprehend them and appreciate what we read."
"We are here because we value the ways in which words come together to create meaning. Words enable us to express our thoughts. The words must be the right ones in right places," said Al Nahyan to a crowd of authors and delegates.
"We all know the immense difficulty of finding the right words and putting them in the right places so they present thoughts with accuracy, style, power and excel in tolerable rustle with words and meanings."
He noted that tolerance is demonstrated best when readers engage in the worlds of different authors.
Al Nahyan further referred to the diverse population of the UAE that includes over 200 nationalities, stating that tolerance was embedded and introduced by the country's leaders led by UAE's late founder Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
"Our success relied on the spirit of tolerance inspired by leaders who have encouraged us to take the first and necessary step towards understanding what we don't know about other people, their thoughts, cultures, history, values and emotions."
He added that engaging with the other, comprehending and appreciating them is a step that starts with every book people read.
"Each book enables a new understanding of our own selves and that of the other people," he said.
During the opening ceremony, Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh, Minister of State was given the 2018 Festival Personality Award for being an integral part of the cultural scene in the region and contributing to the literature with his collection of books and ability to read and speak many languages.
The festival continues until March 10, featuring over 100 international authors and 200 panel discussions.
sherouk@khaleejtimes.com