Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai

Shaibani: Extending bridges of communication, cooperation and love between different religious sects

08 May 2019, Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities in Dubai is organizing the Ramadan Dubai which carries the theme Ramadan Dubai…Compassion and Coexistence. The event was formally launched at the Dubai Mall during the opening ceremony led by Ahmed Darwish Al Muhairi, Executive Director of the Charity Sector, and the Ramadan Dubai General Coordinator along with several heads and directors of government departments.

The program is part of the planned activities and initiatives launched by the Department in celebration of the 2019 Tolerance Year, a declaration made by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE. The initiative seeks to spread the values ​​of Islam and tolerance among citizens and residents of different Arab and foreign communities, observe peaceful coexistence, accept diversity and pluralism, and respect others through the application of the principles of the Holy Quran and Sunnah by providing a variety of educational and recreational programs and events targeting all categories and segments in society, religious affiliations and nationalities, as well as officials and employees both from the public and private sectors.

HE Dr. Hamad Al Shaibani, Director-General of the Dubai Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Departments and the Chairman of the Higher Committee of Ramadan Dubai, gave his congratulations on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan to His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and Their Highnesses, Rulers of the UAE, and residents of its precious land and the Arab and Islamic nations.

The Chairman of the Higher Committee thanked HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum for his continuous and unlimited support for the activities and initiatives of the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department. “We have been tasked by His Highness the Ruler of Dubai, the patron of the development and tender process, to provide unlimited and continuous support to all the activities and initiatives of the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities in Dubai. We have been following this directive from His Highness and thanks to this support, it has become a role model in the field of Islamic and charity work on a global level. The whole world is meeting during the holy month of Ramadan in Ramadan Dubai, which contributes directly to the development of bridges of communication, cooperation and love between different sects and religions, and provide a bright and positive image of the world on the teachings of our religion, calling for tolerance, good work, equality, justice, love and brotherhood.

The “World in Ramadan” platform, one of the highlights of Ramadan Dubai, is open daily to the public from 10 am to 1:45 am and will continue until the 20th day of Ramadan in Waterfalls Area, Dubai Mall. The platform includes a variety of elements including an area for photography in traditional costumes, Arabic calligraphy corner, children's workshops corner, handicraft corner, interactive displays, and theatre area.

The opening ceremony welcomed guests in several languages which were treated with Arabic coffee, juices and desserts from different countries, and a poetry poem about the UAE and tolerance. The audience interacted enthusiastically with 'Bou Tebailah' who announced the opening of Ramadan Dubai, linking the past to the present and enhancing the values of originality and preservation of heritage. The puppet show offered children so much learning and fun.

The Department also announced the hosting of 21 guest readers from outside the country, as well as 102 local readers, to commemorate the holy month of Ramadan and the evening of the Taraweeh prayer, as well as their participation in giving some educational lectures and public fatwa sessions, meeting the needs of the fasting community and raising their faith.

41 senior Imams and readers will cover six major mosques in Dubai: Abu Manara Mosque in Um Suqeim, Union Coop Mosque Al Barsha 3, Sheikha Sana'a Mosque in Hatta, Sheikha Hind Bint Maktoum Mosques and Rashid Bin Saeed Mosque in Zabeel and Al Rashidiya Grand Mosque.

The Executive Director of the Charity Sector, Ramadan Dubai General Coordinator Ahmed Darwish Al Muhairi, explained that the readership of Dubai will host a group of local and foreign readers from the Islamic world during Ramadan, in order to revive the holy month of Ramadan and the prophet's year, by performing the Taraweeh and Qayyam Al-Layl prayers and listening to the recitation of the Holy Quran by the most reprehensible voices in the Arab and Islamic world.

Al-Muhairi pointed out that the readers list includes a group of scholars and senior Imams from the Arab and Muslim countries, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Iraq and Bahrain. The most prominent guests are Saad bin Saeed al-Ghamidi, Abdul Aziz bin Salem al-Zahrani, Mishary Rashid al-Afasy, Ahmed bin Abdullah al-Lahdan, Wasel al-Mutairi and Adel Abdullah al-Rayyan.

He also said that 102 readers of the Maktoum Centers and the Imams of the Islamic Affairs and Charity Activities Department have been assigned to the community specifically at 18 other mosques in the Emirate. These lectures carry valuable titles relevant to the holy month of Ramadan.

'Through Ramadan Dubai, we aim to strengthen Dubai's status as a unique destination during the month of Ramadan, as it embraces many cultural, educational and humanitarian activities and initiatives,' said Dawood Mohammed Al Shezawy, Chairman of the Dubai Organizing Committee. “Through Ramadan Dubai, we can learn about the tolerance of Islam and its role in establishing the principles and culture of tolerance through realistic activities and programs in a framework of love and giving.”

“Ramadan Majlis” represents the revival of the majlises of dignitaries in the emirate of Dubai and the organization of dialogue sessions with youth participations, where the importance of these majlises and the mutual visits between them at the level of the various emirates are enriching the dialogue among the citizens of the state. These are the most important values inherited from the ancestors.

The “Ramadan Majlis” will discuss various social and cultural topics, including a review of the most prominent features of the late Sheikh Zayed, may God bless him and grant him peace, through the book ' Soft Power in the Leadership Qualities of Zayed ' and the theme 'Islam and Exploring the Future' (tolerance is a lifestyle), (gender balance) and (Ramadan in old days). The Ramadan Majlis will also include women as there are specially reserved majlises exclusively for them.

The “Ramadan Spirituality” is one of the most important events of Ramadan Dubai and includes interactive educational programs such as dialogue sessions, spiritual activities, competitions and gift-giving organized by a number of government agencies and educational institutions in Dubai. The discussions and meaningful dialogues with the experts and specialists aim to contribute in the promotion of awareness among the relevant groups and the importance of respecting the opinion of others. Iftaa sessions will be held after the Asr prayer in most mosques in the emirate and in different languages, ​​to cater to the people who are fasting, along with other various provisions and the virtues of Ramadan, such as Laylat al-Qadr and others.

Among the highlights of Ramadan Dubai is the organization of a daily lecture program in cooperation with the Happiness Center of Senior Citizens which includes, from the first day of Ramadan over the course of twenty days, a daily lecture after Taraweeh prayer directly delivered by a group of preachers in the circle including Ismail Al Buraimi, Alaa al-Deen al-Qadi, with several topics such as the connection of the uterus, Laylat al-Qadr and virtues of Ramadan prayer.

Ramadan Dubai is also organizing 'Journey with the Prophet, peace be upon him' and the “Different Names of Allah' through interactive films showing the most prominent works of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him in the holy month of Ramadan,  in addition to explaining the detailed meanings of a number of the names of God and their impact to a Muslim and to his daily life. The films will be shown on social networking sites and on the indoor screens of the Dubai Mall, where one of them will be displayed on a daily basis for 30 days.