JAFFA, Israel – A UAE prince who expressed his support for a meeting between Pope Francis and the head of the world’s leading Sunni Muslim institution came under a barrage of online criticism as well as sympathy.
Hazaa bin Zayed, the deputy governor of Abu Dhabi, was commenting on Monday’s meeting between the Pope and Sheik Ahmed el-Tayyib (pictured), the head of Al Azhar Academy, which was described in the Arab press as “historic.”
“Our world today needs tolerance just like it needs water and air,” the deputy governor tweeted. “What a beautiful moment, and what a great meeting.”
يحتاج عالمنا اليوم إلى التسامح حاجته إلى الماء والهواء، فما أجملها من لحظة وما أعظمه من لقاء. pic.twitter.com/F4wSF2NUh1
— هزاع بن زايد (@HazzaBinZayed) May 23, 2016
During the meeting, the two religious leaders hugged and stressed the importance of Muslim-Christian dialogue. According to the Arab press, the two men discussed world peace in a meeting that came after years of tension following Francis’ predecessor, Benedict XVI, who linked Islam and violence.
“The meeting is the message,” Francis told el-Tayyib, explaining the meeting was significant.
Bin Zayed’s supportive tweet sparked thousands of responses and clashes between supporters and detractors of the meeting.
One commenter condemned the meeting by saying that the Quran ordered Muslims “not to be ruled by Jews or Christians.”
@ABZayed لاتتخذو اليهود والنصارى اولياء
— النجدي (@0allah_akbar) May 23, 2016
Hamad replied: “You are strange. You chose this verse, but not the one saying, ‘They have their religion and we have ours,’ and that it’s wrong to be hostile to either.”
عجيب امرك ذكرت هاذي الآية ولم تذكر انه لهم دينهم ولنا دين ولا يجوز معاداة احد
— حمد الفلاسي (@halflasi1) May 23, 2016
Khalifa also denounced the evocation of the verse, writing: “Showing tolerance doesn’t mean accepting their rule. The Prophet, peace be upon him, had Jewish neighbors. Unlike other religions, Islam is tolerant.”
مفهوم التسامح يختلف كليا عن الولاء .. الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم كان له جيران من اليهود. والاسلام تميّز عن غيره بمفهوم التسامح
— Khalifa T. Bin Obood (@Khalifabinobood) May 24, 2016
“Goodness gracious me, look what they’re doing in Islamic countries, they are the enemies of Islam. Wake up!” wrote another.
لا حول ولا قوة الا بالله انظ كيف يفعلون ببلاد المسلمين انهم اعداء الاسلام انتبهو من غفلتكم
— النجدي (@0allah_akbar) May 23, 2016
Elshahin asked one detractor: “What about your car, and your mobile phone, and your television, and your clothes – doesn’t that count as being ruled by them?”
وسيارتك وجوالك وملابسك وتلفزيونك مافيها موالاه ودعم لشركاتهم؟
— الشاهين U.A.E (@zayedarab1) May 23, 2016
“The [UN] Security Council is composed of 90 percent Christians who pass resolutions that serve only them, while the Muslims have no say,” wrote another.
ومجلس الأمن أعضاءه مسيحيين 90%منهم ولايخدمون سوى القرارات التي تخدم المسيحيين أما المسلمين لا اهميه تذكر
— آيار (@thegoldenKSA) May 23, 2016
“Hazaa, you’re the last man on earth who has the right to talk about religion,” Abdulaziz wrote. “These are the final days that you depraved pimps could say anything about religion.”
@uae_3G مابقى الا انت ياهزاع الخرنق تتكلم عن الدين
اخر زمن أهل القوادة والدعارة يتحدثون عن الدين— Abdulaziz (@steef30377) May 23, 2016
“Tolerance doesn’t mean drinking coffee together, it means that the Russian Christians stop hurting Muslims,” another wrote. “It means not supporting the murderers in Syria.”
@uae_3G ياعمي التسامح ليس بشرب القهوه معا.
التسامح أن يكف المسيحين الروس أيديهم عن المسلمين التسامح أن ينصرون من يقتلوبسوريا— آيار (@thegoldenKSA) May 23, 2016
“Tolerance and peace isn’t just meetings and photo-ops,” Azooz tweeted. “It has to be implemented on the ground, starting in Syria, and spread from there to the rest of the Arab world.”
@mustafa_agha التسامح والسلام مو بس لقاءات وكلام وصور لازم يتطبق على أرض الواقع بداية من سوريا لكل الوطن العربي
— Abdulaziz Abusaleh ® (@Azooz_2332) May 23, 2016
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