Today's Edition
SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
As part of the UAE’s Year of Community in 2025, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre continues its fifth edition of the Jusoor (Bridges) programme during Ramadan.
Launched in 2019, the Jusoor programme brings together people from various cultures and backgrounds to experience the traditions of Ramadan at the mosque.
The programme allows participants to engage in a meaningful experience, like volunteering to distribute iftar meals, learning about the centre's mission of implementing the UAE’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan’s vision of spreading human values.
Participants also get to see the Ramadan cannon firing, a cherished Emirati tradition.
As participants sit around iftar tables, it creates a warm ambience of togetherness, harmony, and friendship. The essence of Jusoor is to create an understanding and appreciation among the participants.
The programme provides an open atmosphere for interaction and dialogue, fostering friendship and the exchange of ideas, while promoting the values of mercy, unity, respect, and cooperation as major tenets of Islam.
Since its inception, Jusoor has welcomed more than 1,300 participants from 27 embassies in the UAE, several other organisations, and the Centre staff over 24 sessions.
Aletihad spoke to the participants regarding their participation in the programme.
Radha Krishna Panday, the Ambassador of Canada to the UAE, said: “I am feeling very fortunate, and I know all of my fellow Canadians who are with me feel the same. Although most of us have visited the Grand Mosque on previous occasions, this opportunity to share, observe, and contribute was very special. I think what was reinforced was the value of tolerance, inclusion, being open to fellow men and women, being generous, and exercising a sense of charity and good spirit toward all."
He added that although he enjoyed the cannon, the most unforgettable experience was actually the smiles, the sense of community, and the kids coming together.
"I think it is important to take the spirit of tolerance, inclusion, and charity seriously and to find ways to incorporate it into our daily lives beyond the time frame of Ramadan," the Ambassador said.
Christoph Klarmann, the Deputy Head of Mission at the German Embassy in the UAE, said: "I am here for the second time. I was fortunate enough to participate last year as well, and I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the spiritual nature of this evening very much.”
“I think it's a very nice gesture that we, as part of the diplomatic corps, get the chance to serve the people of this beautiful city that we live in and call our home. Last year, I was here alone, but this year I brought my family so they could also enjoy this wonderful event here at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque," the diplomat added.
He spotlighted how the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque embodies the promotion of tolerance and connection among various faiths, expressing his gratitude as a Christian for being able to fully participate in the spirit of Ramadan.
Jacqueline Deley, the Acting Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in the UAE, said: "I think that Jusoor is a wonderful initiative by the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. It is a beautiful example of interfaith harmony, a beautiful setting, and wonderful generosity. It was great making new friends, and I want to thank everyone here for organising it. It is a wonderful experience."
Deley said the Grand Mosque is her favourite place in Abu Dhabi, especially in Ramadan when it creates a serene and harmonious atmosphere.
"There is nothing more fundamental than people coming together to break bread. People of all faiths coming together to celebrate iftar during Ramadan is a beautiful symbol," she said.
