Notes

It seems entirely appropriate to be asked to speak about respect and tolerance in the Year of Zayed, given that these are values which Sheikh Zayed himself embraced so passionately and which he strove to embody in his own life and actions.

Sheikh Zayed's own maxim, that a ruler should not have any barrier which separates him from his people, exemplifies his commitment to treat people with the utmost respect regardless of nationality, gender, status or religion.

In the diverse society that he founded, respect and tolerance are evident wherever you go. In the mall, they're evident. On the beach, they're evident. When you walk down the street, they're evident. The fact that they're evident everywhere is testament to the way in which subsequent leaders of the U.A.E. have communicated and honoured Sheikh Zayed's legacy of tolerance.

Unfortunately, in the wider world, we've seen a trend in recent years toward greater intolerance and suspicion. This threatens, at its worst, to destabilize and divide nations, and even regions. We've seen governments shelling their own people. We've seen neighbouring countries begin to unravel bonds that tied them together. We've heard suggestions that schoolchildren can be made safer by arming teachers. We've even seen a return to the threat of nuclear conflict that jeopardises the safety of every citizen of the world.

Where, then, are respect and tolerance? Have we abandoned them entirely?

What an amazing legacy it would be, in this centenary year of Sheikh Zayed's birth, if his example of respect and tolerance, the diversity and steadfastness of the UAE, could be a beacon of respect and tolerance on a global scale.