“The great conference held in Abu Dhabi, attended by the Pope and the Great Imam of Al Azhar, was organized by the Muslims. It shows that the faithful of Islam wish to build peace and harmony in the world. It is a message that first of all reaches the Muslim world, in Asia but also in Africa,” said Auxiliary Bishop Method Kilaini of the diocese of Bukoba in Tanzania, in an interview with Fides News Agency released February 7, 2019. The bishop was among those present at the Global conference of human fraternity held in the United Arab Emirates from February 3-4.
The Bishop said: “This conference and the Declaration signed by the Pope and by Imam Ahmad Al-Tayyib will be very useful in the context of Africa, where Islamic fundamentalist groups are growing. This happens because many Islamic fundamentalists arrive in Africa, starting from the Middle East, and bring a message of hatred, discrimination, and extremism to the local Muslims”. And he adds: “What happened in the United Arab Emirates brings a powerful message of peace, harmony, fraternity and says that Muslims want peace in the world, too. The message of fraternity will certainly reach Tanzania and various parts of Africa, helping people to develop a peaceful society.”
That meeting, the Bishop continues, “means that living in peace is possible. In the United Arab Emirates, there are people of various religions, beliefs, ethnic groups and cultures who live in unity without any kind of discrimination. Therefore it is possible to do it also in the African countries. As the Great Imam of Al Azhar reminds us, no religion promotes hatred and discrimination, but every religion promotes love, peace, and harmony”. Archbishop Kilaini concludes: “The presence, the words, the example of Pope Francis are for us an incentive to do more in the African context in order to accompany people of different faiths to live in peace and harmony.”
