Muscat: Represented by the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs, the Sultanate of Oman will join the rest of the international community in celebrating World Tolerance Day, the 16th of November, themed “Diverged by pandemic, converged by tolerance”.
Speaking at a press conference held on Wednesday, Dr Mohammed Said al Maamari, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs, said that tolerance constitutes the main theme in the Sultanate of Oman-based “Message of Islam” exhibition welcomed by all nations.
“By 2020, the exhibition was held in 133 stations, of them 96 international and 37 local within the Sultanate of Oman,” he added.
Al Maamari pointed out that the “Message of Islam Exhibition” emerged as a measure to assert Oman’s approach in spreading the culture of peace and harmony among nations.
The exhibition consolidates the values of tolerance, coexistence and understanding as it reflects the need to engage in constructive dialogue among sects and proponents of different religions in the world, he explained, noting that the exhibition focuses on Oman’s own experience in peaceful coexistence informed by religious tolerance.
Al Maamari said that the International Religious Freedom Report, issued by the US State Department, lauded the role of “Message of Islam” exhibition in spreading the culture of tolerance and changing negative stereotypes in the world.
The exhibition lent support to many members of political, municipal, social and educational establishments in all parts of the world, said Al Maamari, adding that the exhibition drew the attention of diplomatic missions from Arab and other countries.
As part of World Tolerance Day celebrations in Oman, a symposium will be held on consolidating values of tolerance among societies in times of crises.
The symposium focuses on the global coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and its fallouts.
One of the workshops in the symposium highlights the role of scholars in promoting tolerance during adverse conditions.
Another workshop underscores the role of community establishments in alleviating the impacts of Covid-19 on society.
The press conference was attended by Ali Khalfan al Jabri, Information Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Information. –ONA
