Advancing human fraternity falls on everyone, HCHF secretary-general says

Higher Committee of Human Fraternity (HCHF) Secretary-General Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam speaking about promoting human fraternity at the G20InterfaithForum closing ceremony. (Twitter @m_abdelsallam)

• The theme of this year’s forum is ‘Time to heal: Peace among cultures, understanding between religions’

DUBAI: Human fraternity is the key to alleviate the troubles facing today’s world and is a responsibility shared by everyone, Higher Committee of Human Fraternity (HCHF) Secretary-General Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam said Tuesday at the closing ceremony of the G20 Interfaith Forum in Bologna, Italy.
“Human fraternity is a shared responsibility, which no individual or institution can achieve without real cooperation with others,” Abdelsalam said, adding that the HCHF prioritizes cooperation as “change can only be achieved through solidarity and unification of efforts.”
Two of the world’s leading religious figures –Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Professor Ahmed Al-Tayeb – have paved the way for the rest of the world to follow, he said, culminating in the historic Document on Human Fraternity.
To achieve the goals in the Document, the HCHF has adopted ambitious initiatives including the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity and the Abrahamic Family House, a symbol of interfaith and intercultural appreciation, Abdelsalam said. 
Judge Abdelsalam shared a moment of human fraternity he witnessed between Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar during a private dinner, in which Pope Francis picked up a piece of bread, cut it in two halves, and gave the other half to the Grand Imam. Each ate their half in a symbolic act of coexistence.
“Humanity is in dire need of this culture of sharing bread - not only by words, but by actions,” Abdelsalam told the audience, in reference to a moment of human fraternity he witnessed between Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar during a private dinner, in which Pope Francis picked up a piece of bread, cut it in two halves, and gave the other half to the Grand Imam. 
“Religious institutions are called to guide societies towards values of mercy and peace; artists are called to reveal the beauty of these values; and media professionals are called to build a public opinion characterized by coexistence and tolerance,” he said.
“Our common goal is a better world for our youth, children, and future generations; a world in which everyone believes that life, security, peace, goodness, justice and equality are rights that every person should have,” Abdelsalam added.
Abdelsalam’s remarks came at the closing ceremony of the G20 Interfaith Forum, an annual platform where a network of religiously linked institutions and initiatives engage on global agendas. The theme of this year’s forum is “Time to heal: Peace among cultures, understanding between religions.”