Moscow [Russia], May 4 (ANI/WAM): Liutenant General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, attended the international symposium organised by the Interfaith Alliance for Safer Communities in cooperation with the Mohamed bin Zayed University for Humanities and the Religious Administration of Muslims of the Russian Federation.

The symposium was held in the Russian capital, Moscow, at the Grand Mosque Centre under the title 'The Role of the Family in Empowering Society.'

The symposium was attended by Sheikh Rawi Gainuddin, Grand Mufti of the Russian Federation and Chairman of the Religious Administration of Muslims of Russia.

Sheikh Saif also witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Mohamed bin Zayed University for Humanities and the Religious Administration of Muslims of Russia regarding the inauguration of the Islamic Cultural Centre in Moscow. This Emirati initiative promotes cultural convergence between peoples and promotes the values of tolerance, love, peaceful coexistence, and respect for others.

Khalifa Mubarak Al Dhaheri, Director of the Mohamed bin Zayed University for Humanities, and several officials from both the UAE and Russia were also present.

The symposium, which was attended by experts and specialists from the UAE and Russia, representatives of the diplomatic corps of Arab and Islamic countries, academics, religious figures, thinkers, and speakers from the Religious Administration of Muslims of Russia, addressed a number of topics and themes that emphasized the importance of the family as the foundation of societies, the source of societal security, and the first line of defense for members of society. It instills human values and works to preserve the identity and foundation of societies, ensuring societal safety and security.

The workshop was attended by a group of religious leaders from various religions, in addition to a number of thinkers and social experts, with the aim of promoting interfaith dialogue and cooperation regarding family protection and strengthening societal cohesion.

The symposium also focused on the importance of religious values in preserving the family structure and its pivotal role in instilling the principles of understanding, compassion, and shared responsibility.

It also discussed the most prominent contemporary challenges facing the family, including family disintegration, modern cultural influences, and the technological and social challenges that have affected the concepts of parenting and family relationships.

The symposium was part of efforts to enhance the shared role of religions in building stable and cohesive societies, highlighting the family as the nucleus of society and a bridge between generations and cultures, while also promoting the values of tolerance and human fraternity and strengthening community ties.

Then, Sheikh Saif toured the exhibition held at the Moscow Grand Mosque under the title 'Minarets of the Two Capitals.' The exhibition, jointly organised by the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre and the Religious Administration of Muslims of Russia, aims to strengthen cultural and religious relations between the two friendly countries and highlight the Centre's distinguished role as a global symbol of tolerance and peace.

The exhibition includes professional photographs of the architectural and artistic creations of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, which reveal the depth of Islamic culture, in addition to a mobile library containing publications from the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre.

The exhibition was attended by Yousef Al Obaidli, Director-General of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre, Mohammed Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Ambassador to the Russian Federation, and a number of Emirati and Russian officials.

Sheikh Saif also toured the Moscow Grand Mosque, also known as the Moscow Mosque, an architectural masterpiece in the heart of the Russian capital and the largest in Europe.

He was briefed on the mosque's history, the decorations and inscriptions that adorn its walls, and the value and role of this mosque and its facilities in promoting cultural convergence and promoting the principles of interfaith dialogue within the religious and cultural events it hosts. This mosque has been supported by the UAE since its reconstruction and opening in 2015, in addition to funding the humanitarian and charitable projects it organises. (ANI/WAM)