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Abu Dhabi declaration: A call to action for ecological interreligious dialogue

The environmental crisis is a global problem that requires a collective sense of responsibility as well as collective action from people of all faiths and backgrounds.

Aloys Budi Purnomo (The Jakarta Post)
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Tue, February 4, 2025

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Abu Dhabi declaration: A call to action for ecological interreligious dialogue Pope Francis (left) and al-Azhar Mosque Grand Imam Ahmed Al-Tayeb meet on Nov. 4, 2022, at the papal residence on the grounds of al-Sakhir Royal Palace in the desert region of Sakhir, Bahrain. (AFP/Marco Bertorello)

F

eb. 4 is a special date in the context of building international brotherhood. More specifically, it is important in terms of a brotherhood that bears fruit through a joint movement to care for Earth, our shared home, in the perspective of interreligious ecology. Why?

On this date in 2019, a historic meeting took place in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, between Pope Francis and Al-Azhar Mosque Grand Imam Ahmed Al-Tayeb, which produced the Abu Dhabi declaration. This landmark agreement, formally called the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together, emphasizes the importance of interreligious dialogue and cooperation in promoting peace, understanding and environmental protection.

First of all, the meeting between Francis and Al-Tayyeb raised general concerns regarding fraternity for world peace and living together. Furthermore, in the Abu Dhabi declaration, we can observe the affirmation of two world leaders, one representing Catholicism and the other Islam, on concerns regarding environmental destruction and its threat to humanity. Therefore, the declaration is both interreligious and ecological in character.

The interreligious aspect involves Catholicism and Islam, and in the declaration’s context of saving the environment and the relational aspect of humanity, the idea of interreligious ecology is framed.

One of the key aspects of the Abu Dhabi declaration is its emphasis on ecological interreligious dialogue. The agreement recognizes the environmental crisis as a global problem that requires a collective response from people of all faiths and backgrounds.

The declaration notes that Earth is "our common home" and that its degradation is a threat to human life and dignity. The document emphasizes the need for people of different faiths, whatever their religion or belief system, to work together to protect the environment and promote sustainable development.

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This call to action is rooted in the values of compassion, justice and stewardship that are shared among many religious traditions. In my opinion, that is the imperative of ecological interreligious dialogue.

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