The UAE recently welcomed a large number of religious, community and government leaders to an interfaith Ramadan Iftar hosted by Ambassador to Italy, Omar Obaid Mohammed Al Shamsi, here. The reception reflected on the Year of Tolerance, and UAE's efforts to boost levels of mutual understanding between people of different cultural and religious backgrounds. In attendance were interfaith leaders from the Vatican and several Catholic churches and associations in Rome, representatives of the Islamic Cultural Centre here, Jewish Community, and foreign ambassadors accredited to Italy, along with leading political and economic figures. Addressing the function, the UAE ambassador underlined the paramount importance the UAE leadership is attaching to promoting the values of tolerance, peaceful co-existence, religious pluralism, acceptance and interfaith dialogue. Marco Impagliazzo, President of the Community of Sant'Egidio - a lay Catholic association dedicated to social service- spoke to the audience and hailed the 'significant role' played by the UAE in strengthening human fraternity among all religions and cultures across the world, citing the country's hosting of a large number of nationalities, followers of various religions and world cultures as a testament to its successful efforts in this regard. For her part, Noemi Disegni, President of the Union of Jewish Communities of Italy, applauded the gathering as a valuable chance for interfaith dialogue. Paolo Glisenti, Commissioner General for Italy at Expo 2020 Dubai, said the gathering is reflective of the fundamental role played by UAE in fostering channels of communication between various cultures.
