Well they didn’t make their goal of opening in 2022, but they came pretty close. The Abu Dhabi Abrahamic Family House had it’s official inauguration on February 16, 2023. They promise to be officially open to the public on March 1, 2023.
I know that you have already heard a lot about the project. I have included some of the previous details in this post, but I also bring out some new information as it was revealed to me.
We are moving closer and closer to the time of GREAT PERSECUTION OF BIBLE BELIEVERS. I hope that you are preparing yourelves spiritually, mentally and emotionally. We may be called to suffer and/or die for our faith. Or, we may have loved ones who are called to be. Prepare your heart so that the devil will find no ground there.
I am always expecting to be found worthy to escape all that is coming, because the Word of God tells me to pray that. If the Word says pray that, it means that it is possible. I encourage you all to pray that prayer every day!
This event is nothing to celebrate. Don’t be deceived. Many churches who fell for the “seeker friendly” school of thought are finding out it does NO GOOD to compromise in the hope of reaching the lost. When people attempt to come together through the methods the world has to offer, they always gravitate to the lowest common denominator.
We must not water down the TRUTH of the GOOD NEWS of the GOSPEL!! Salvation is ONLY through the Blood of Jesus Christ/Yahushua Ha Mashiach!
We are not being hateful when we share the truth. We are being LOVING. It is not loving to tell people they are serving the true GOD when they are not. It is not loving to know the TRUTH and not share it. It is not loving to miss your opportunity to point them toward true Salvation. We are not responsible to convert them or to get them to accept the truth. We are only called to share it. To tell them what we KNOW about our Loving Heavenly Father and His Precious Son. That is what it means to be a witness. To give your testimony. Just like in a court of Law.
Be prepared to be rejected and even hated. Be prepared to share the reason for your faith.
1But sanctify (to hold in your heart as HOLY) the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. 1 Peter 3:15spacer
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The Interfaith/Coexist/Inclusivism that is begin presented as a way to peace is a lie straight out of the pit of Hell. It is the same tactic the Romans used to stamp out Christian Faith at its very beginning. The Romans forced the world to come together under their banner by combining all their religions under the banner of the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Church is a pagan religion that from its inception worshipped the gods of ROME. History is repeating itself. Just as the Roman Church persecuted all the original true believers, this New Religion of the NWO will do the same.
Take the LOG from Your Eye – Part 4 – Changing TIMES and LAWS
REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE – Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4
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‘Abrahamic Family House’ with Church, Mosque, and Synagogue opens in Abu Dhabi
Bergoglio’s baneful baby…
‘Abrahamic Family House’ with Church, Mosque, and Synagogue opens in Abu Dhabi
Three cubes for a more fraternal — and less Catholic — world
The ever-advancing global apostasy has just reached another mile marker. On Feb. 16, 2023, the so-called Abrahamic Family House was solemnly inaugurated in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
The project comes with the full endorsement of Jorge Bergoglio, the Argentinian apostate who has been playing “Pope Francis” for nearly 10 years now in the post-Catholic Vatican. In fact, Francis is one of the instigators of this unholy endeavor, which has been called the “first fruits” of the blasphemous and heretical Document on Human Fraternity the false pope signed together with the Moslem imam Ahmad Al-Tayyib in Abu Dhabi on Feb. 4, 2019.
According to this document, God positively wills there to be a diversity of religions, as a manifestation of His wisdom. A more staggering blasphemy can hardly be imagined, and it goes without saying that such a claim not only completely undermines the foundation of Catholicism but utterly destroys the very concept of revealed religion: It “is calculated to bring about the ruin of all forms of religion, and especially of the Catholic religion, which, as it is the only one that is true (keep in mind that this article was written by a catholic and posted on a catholic webpage, the Catholic Church is NOT a true Church of the Word of God. It is a Roman Chruch that worships Roman deities.) , cannot, without great injustice, be regarded as merely equal to other religions” Pope Leo XIII, Encyclical Humanum Genus, n. 16).
Francis has doubled down on his apostasy since. Not only did he make this Declaration on Human Fraternity an official “papal” act, he also began to say that religious differences among people are “necessary” and that the different religions are an “enrichment” for humanity. Obviously, such ideas smother any attempt at evangelization at the very root, no matter how much lip service he currently pays to the “passion for evangelization”. If his mouth had three sides, he’d speak out of all three of them.
According to this false pope, the anchor of salvation for all humanity is not the Cross of Jesus Christ through the theological virtue of hope, but rather “human fraternity”. He does not preach that all must enter the Ark of Salvation, the Catholic Church, in order to gain Eternal Life; but that we must enter the “Ark of Fraternity” so that we will have a happy temporal life, a veritable heaven on earth.
The Abrahamic Family House is the unholy fruit of the false theology promoted by Bergoglio and his interreligious friends. The complex now looks just like the model, displayed on the official web site:
Images of the real-life buildings can be found in the following video clips:
The newly-established Twitter account for the Abrahamic Family House has published some photos of the inauguration ceremony:
The Abrahamic Family House is rooted in the UAE’s values and longstanding commitment to #peacefulcoexistence pic.twitter.com/g4Mv1Vfl2j
Video of the entire inauguration ceremony has not been released, but a promotional clip with snippets of it has been:
The ceremony included a choreography with three children, one for each religion — tokens of the interreligious future Francis and his henchmen have been dreaming of and working for, a future not under the banner of Christ the King but under the tripartite motto of the Masonic revolution: liberty, equality, fraternity.
Many adjectives come to mind to describe the vibes one gets from watching the children perform in the video clip: menacing, sinister, ominous, surreal, dystopian, occult, uncanny, apocalyptic. This is just creepy:
The girl in the pictures represents the “Christians”, and the cube she holds is a small model of the “church”. The idea is, of course, to show that each of the three “houses of worship” provide light for the darkness of our world, but of course that is a lie, for the true Light is only Jesus Christ, and whoever does not follow Him remains in darkness:
Again therefore, Jesus spoke to them, saying: I am the light of the world: he that followeth me, walketh not in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (Jn 8:12)
As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. (Jn 9:5)
In [the Word] was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to give testimony of the light, that all men might believe through him. He was not the light, but was to give testimony of the light. That was the true light, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world. (Jn 1:4-9)
Perhaps the best refutation of the Abrahamic Family House and similar concepts comes from St. Paul:
Bear not the yoke with unbelievers. For what participation hath justice with injustice? Or what fellowship hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath the faithful with the unbeliever? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God; as God saith: I will dwell in them, and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore, Go out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing: And I will receive you; and I will be a Father to you; and you shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
(2 Corinthians 6:14-18)
Somewhat surprisingly, Bergoglio himself did not attend the inauguration of the interfaith site. However, the Novus Ordo Sect definitely had some official representatives present (among them ‘Bishop’ Paul Hinder, left):
Underlying the Abu Dhabi abomination is the lie that there are three “Abrahamic religions”, indeed, that there is an “Abrahamic family” that combines Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. But that is false. While it is true that each religion claims Abraham as its father, obviously two of them must be wrong, since Abraham cannot be the father of three different religions.
Neither apostate Judaism nor Islam can truly lay claim to Abraham as their father, except perhaps in a carnal sense at best, which is utterly irrelevant: “It is the spirit that quickeneth: the flesh profiteth nothing” (Jn 6:64a).
In particular, Judaism cannot claim Abraham as its father because today’s Jews have rejected the very Messiah that had been promised to Abraham, and whose coming he awaited:
They answered, and said to him: Abraham is our father. Jesus saith to them: If you be the children of Abraham, do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill me, a man who have spoken the truth to you, which I have heard of God. This Abraham did not. You do the works of your father. They said therefore to him: We are not born of fornication: we have one Father, even God. Jesus therefore said to them: If God were your Father, you would indeed love me. For from God I proceeded, and came; for I came not of myself, but he sent me: Why do you not know my speech? Because you cannot hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and he stood not in the truth; because truth is not in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof. Amen, amen I say to you: If any man keep my word, he shall not see death for ever. The Jews therefore said: Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest: If any man keep my word, he shall not taste death for ever. Art thou greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? and the prophets are dead. Whom dost thou make thyself? Jesus answered: If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father that glorifieth me, of whom you say that he is your God. And you have not known him, but I know him. And if I shall say that I know him not, I shall be like to you, a liar. But I do know him, and do keep his word. Abraham your father rejoiced that he might see my day: he saw it, and was glad.
(John 8:39-44,51-56)
St. Paul summed it up when he said: “And if you be Christ’s, then are you the seed of Abraham, heirs according to the promise” (Gal 3:29). Old Testament Judaism was fulfilled in Catholicism, and therefore only Catholicism is the true religion of Abraham, which in the Old Covenant he anticipated by faith. It is by being baptized into Christ and maintaining the true Faith that people become the true progeny of Abraham, regardless of their fleshly descent.
(Now, the scary thing is that the Catholics truly believe that they have the ONLY true Faith. They believe that everyone who is not Catholic is going to HELL. Just as the Muslims believe that ONLY Muslims have the true faith and everyone else is an infidel. Just as the Jews believe that they are the ONLY true children of YHVH and everyone else are just chattel. Hmm… this unites all three of those religions. So the Abrahamic Family House is a true unity of faiths who are all based on the same belief that they are the ONLY ONES. This is very scary. Because these people will end up KILLING everyone who does not fall in line.)
Nevertheless, ‘Pope’ Francis continually pushes the false narrative of the “Abrahamic religions” that are supposedly all “children of Abraham”. It is a lie! And this lie has now been poured into concrete and set up as a monument to religious egalitarianism and indifferentism.
Architecture speaks volumes, and in this case it screams. Putting all three edifices on the same level and sharing one foundation, sends an unmistakable message: All these religions are equal, and it’s not that important which one you belong to. What matters is that we all get along. The heresies of egalitarianism and indifferentism are boldly staring everybody in the face.
Pope Pius XI’s 1928 encyclical Mortalium Animos unmasks this interreligious deception, which Francis is so keen on spreading:
Never perhaps in the past have we seen, as we see in these our own times, the minds of men so occupied by the desire both of strengthening and of extending to the common welfare of human society that fraternal relationship which binds and unites us together, and which is a consequence of our common origin and nature. For since the nations do not yet fully enjoy the fruits of peace — indeed rather do old and new disagreements in various places break forth into sedition and civic strife — and since on the other hand many disputes which concern the tranquillity and prosperity of nations cannot be settled without the active concurrence and help of those who rule the states and promote their interests, it is easily understood, and the more so because none now dispute the unity of the human race, why many desire that the various nations, inspired by this universal kinship, should daily be more closely united one to another.
A similar object is aimed at by some, in those matters which concern the New Law promulgated by Christ our Lord. For since they hold it for certain that men destitute of all religious sense are very rarely to be found, they seem to have founded on that belief a hope that the nations, although they differ among themselves in certain religious matters, will without much difficulty come to agree as brethren in professing certain doctrines, which form as it were a common basis of the spiritual life. For which reason conventions, meetings and addresses are frequently arranged by these persons, at which a large number of listeners are present, and at which all without distinction are invited to join in the discussion, both infidels of every kind, and Christians, even those who have unhappily fallen away from Christ or who with obstinacy and pertinacity deny His divine nature and mission. Certainly such attempts can nowise be approved by Catholics, founded as they are on that false opinion which considers all religions to be more or less good and praiseworthy, since they all in different ways manifest and signify that sense which is inborn in us all, and by which we are led to God and to the obedient acknowledgment of His rule. Not only are those who hold this opinion in error and deceived, but also in distorting the idea of true religion they reject it, and little by little, turn aside to naturalism and atheism, as it is called; from which it clearly follows that one who supports those who hold these theories and attempt to realize them, is altogether abandoning the divinely revealed religion.
(Pope Pius XI, Encyclical Mortalium Animos, nn. 1-2; underlining added.)
A promo clip advertising the Abrahamic Family House before it was built gives a good overview of the inside and outside of the interreligious complex, albeit virtually:
The whole structure was designed by Sir David Adjaye (b. 1966), a world-famous architect who creates “richly symbolic buildings designed to tell stories.” And stories they certainly do tell, just not any Catholic ones.
Each building is a cube measuring 30 meters deep, 30 m wide, and 30 m tall. Naturally, the three buildings each form the point of a triangle. More information on the design and the thought behind it all can be found on the Human Fraternity web site.
According to the official web page of the Abrahamic Family House, the synagogue is dedicated to the Jewish philosopher Maimonedes (Moses Ben Maimon), who lived in the high middle ages, and the mosque is named after the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed El-Tayeb, with whom Francis signed the Human Fraternity declaration.
The “church” is dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi, allegedly, though it is named “His Holiness Francis Church”. It sounds more like it’s dedicated to Bergoglio than to the real St. Francis, who sought the conversion of Muslims and preached the true Faith to them, not transcendence or fraternity:
The Sultan Meledin asked him who sent them, and for what purpose they came? [Saint] Francis answered with courageous firmness: “We are not sent by men, but it is the Most High who sends me, in order that I may teach you and your people the way of salvation, by pointing out to you the truths of the Gospel.” He immediately preached to him, with great fervor, the dogma of One God in Three Persons, and the Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of mankind.
(Congregation of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri, The Life of S. Francis of Assisi [New York, NY: D. & J. Sandlier & Co., 1889], pp. 197-198)
Now that’s what we call proselytism! And proselytism is something ‘Pope’ Francis detests and rejects, and even claims to be the greatest sin a missionary can commit!
We know what Bergoglio teaches Muslims — not the True Faith but rather “transcendence and fraternity”. But, as Pope St. Pius X said, “there is no genuine fraternity outside Christian charity. Through the love of God and His Son Jesus Christ Our Saviour, Christian charity embraces all men, comforts all, and leads all to the same faith and same heavenly happiness” (Apostolic Letter Notre Charge Apostolique; underlining added).
Now that is a message you will never hear from Jorge Bergoglio, much less at the Abrahamic Family House that is his rotten theological offspring.
Title image source: Twitter (fdaoulb); annotated
License: fair use
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Arab world’s ‘1st purpose-built synagogue in century’ opens at UAE interfaith center
UK chief rabbi affixes mezuzah during inauguration of Abu Dhabi’s Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue, which will host Shabbat prayers on Friday evening
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The United Arab Emirates on Thursday opened a center housing a mosque, church and the country’s first official synagogue with the aim of promoting interfaith coexistence in the Muslim nation.
At Thursday’s opening ceremony, UK Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis affixed a mezuzah to the entrance of the new Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue, which he tweeted was “the first purpose-built synagogue in the Arab world for nearly a century.”
The oil-rich Gulf federation, which normalized relations with Israel in 2020, is home to a small but active Jewish community that usually prays in private.
With three houses of worship in the same place, the Abrahamic Family House, inaugurated in the capital Abu Dhabi, is the first of its kind.
“The center will be a platform for learning and dialogue, a model of coexistence,” said its president, Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak.
The three houses of worship are of equal stature and share the same external dimensions.
The opening of the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi is a reflection of the vision of HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed to further human fraternity. It embodies the UAE’s values of mutual respect and peaceful coexistence. To View the video click here: pic.twitter.com/wBGRbtt4HL— سيف بن زايد آل نهيان (@SaifBZayed) February 17, 2023
The only other synagogue in the Gulf Arab region is in Bahrain, which also has a small Jewish community.
The Association of Gulf Jewish Communities praised the UAE for opening another house of worship in the region.
“We are particularly excited to see another synagogue built in the GCC” (Gulf Cooperation Council), it said in a statement.
“There is something very special about a synagogue being built in a Muslim country.”
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Later Friday, the local Jewish community will hold Shabbat prayers in the synagogue, led by UAE Chief Rabbi Yehuda Sarna.
On Sunday, a Torah scroll donated by UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will be brought to the synagogue in a dedication ceremony.
The 2020 normalization of relations between the UAE and Israel was part of the US-brokered Abraham Accords that also saw the Jewish state establish diplomatic ties with Bahrain and Morocco.
The UAE was the first Gulf country to normalize ties with Israel and only the third Arab nation to do so after Egypt and Jordan.
The Abraham Accords broke with long-standing pan-Arab policy to isolate Israel until it withdraws from the occupied territories and accepts Palestinian statehood.
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By. Knox Thames. (RNS) —
The mosque, church and synagogue complex is a shining monument to tolerance.
The road to Thursday’s opening began with Pope Francis’ February 2019 trip to the UAE, where he met with the grand imam of al-Azhar, Ahmed el-Tayeb, leader of the oldest Islamic educational institute in the world. Their meeting ended with their signing of the Document on Human Fraternity, which set ambitious goals to foster interfaith understanding.
Four years later, Muslims, Christians and Jews gathered to inaugurate the three worship centers, each representing one of the three Abrahamic faiths, and a representative from each faith provided inaugural remarks.
The president of the center, Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, spoke of a “new landmark” in the country, built within sight of the six-year-old Louvre Abu Dhabi. The three worship sites, he said, stand for hope “for peaceful coexistence and understanding.”
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The Louvre Abu DhabiThe Louvre Abu Dhabi was inaugurated in 2017. The result of an unprecedented partnership between France and the United Arab Emirates, it is France’s largest cultural project abroad. There are three cornerstones to its success: its spectacular architecture, the richness of its permanent collection (thanks to loans from the Louvre and other French museums), and the quality of its temporary exhibitions. AN INNOVATIVE PROJECTBorn out of an intergovernmental agreement signed between France and the United Arab Emirates on 6 March 2007, the Louvre Abu Dhabi is the first universal museum in the Arab world. It brings the Louvre name to Abu Dhabi and presents both ancient and contemporary works of historic, cultural and sociological interest from around the world. The agreement involved thirteen French public cultural establishments under the umbrella of the Agence France-Muséums: the Musée du Louvre, the Centre Pompidou, the Public Establishment of the Musée d’Orsay and the Musée de l’Orangerie, the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (BnF), the Musée du Quai Branly, the Réunion des Musées Nationaux – Grand Palais, the Musée et Domaine National de Versailles, the Musée National des Arts Asiatiques Guimet, the Musée d’Archéologie Nationale – Domaine National de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the École du Louvre, the Musée Rodin, the Domaine National de Chambord and the French Operator for Heritage and Cultural Building Projects (Oppic). THE MUSEUM AND ITS COLLECTIONSJean Nouvel, the Pritzker Architecture Prize winner selected to design the museum, was inspired by the special features of the Saadiyat site: a virgin lagoon island, between sand and sea, shade and light. The museum’s permanent collection comprises some 700 artworks and groups of artworks from every period and civilisation (from prehistoric times to the present day). Another 300 works are loans from partner museums (the Louvre lends 100 different masterpieces every year). The Louvre Abu Dhabi’s unique exhibition design explores the connections between civilisations and cultures that might at first seem to be far apart in time and geography. Visitors are guided through a chronological and theme-based display traversing different periods and civilisations. |
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The Louvre Abu Dhabi is an art museum located on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It runs under an agreement between the UAE and France, signed in March 2007, that allows it to use the Louvre’s name until 2037, and has been described by the Louvre as “France’s largest cultural project abroad.” It is approximately 24,000 square metres in size, with 8,000 square metres of galleries, making it the largest art museum in the Arabian peninsula. Wikipedia
Established: November 08, 2017 or 11/8/7
Location:Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Type:Art Museum
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from Latin. The Louvre used to be Lupara in this language, more precisely “Turris lupara”. Off the root word lupanar comes from “lupus”, which means wolf. Well before the museum, there would be here a forest, land of wolves, Wolf hunting was mainly for hunting grey wolves. They were hunted for their skins and so that the wolves did not kill the livestock. Before Paris was heavily populated, there would have been wolves roaming the countryside near the Louvre Museum.… | ||
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Meaning, origin and history of the name Loup – Behind the Name Loup-garou Definition & Meaning – Merriam-Webster |
Loup Garou (Rougarou): The Cajun Legend – Mythologian |
Loup-garou Definition & Meaning – Merriam-Webster |
The president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, Cardinal Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, noting that “fear is the outcome of a lack of knowledge,” referred to the center as a “beacon of mutual understanding.” The cardinal said that believers do not need to walk away from their deeply held beliefs to befriend others and to visit their houses of worship. “Without renouncing different spiritual resources,” he said, “each has a command to live with brothers and sisters whatever their religion.”
Lastly, the chief rabbi of the United Kingdom, Ephraim Mirvis, referred to the moment as “historic,” seeing the “children of Abraham gathered … to build a new world.” He challenged the audience to “recognize the part of the divine in every person” so we can “shape a new world built from loving kindness.”
This is eastern philosophy, NAMASTE: I recognize the GOD in YOU. Acknowledging that we are all GODS. Or can become GODS. This is a LIE. AND, without the spirit of the ALMIGHTY GOD, there is NO LOVE. HE is LOVE.
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Romans 5:5-11 |
But what made a remarkable event even more so was how it represented the reestablishment of Jewish life in the UAE, restoring Judaism to its historic place in Middle Eastern life. No purpose-built synagogue has arisen in the region since 1931, but here was the UAE government, which paid for the construction of all three houses, erecting a synagogue in its national capital. Bruce Lustig, rabbi emeritus at Washington D.C.’s Hebrew Congregation, who was involved in the project, told me the new building “changes all the rules.”
But while the center is novel, the UAE has been promoting tolerance for several years. The Abrahamic Family House joins other initiatives, including a special ministry of tolerance, and hosts the Abu Dhabi Forum for Peace. The UAE has also demonstrated a commitment to promoting tolerance outside its borders, supporting UNESCO’s effort to reconstruct a historic mosque and two nearby churches in Iraq’s second-largest city, Mosul, after they were destroyed by ISIS.
Some have questioned the sincerity of these types of efforts, seeing them as a way to distract from the region’s rough politics or deficits when it comes to democracy. But such work can simultaneously reflect a country’s interests and values. The UAE’s leadership has also focused on countering ISIS’ ideology and the Muslim Brotherhood, and the Abrahamic Family House can be seen as a positive flipside to these darker battles.
The Emirates also has a long tradition of tolerance, with Dubai, Abu Dhabi and other port cities historically serving as an opening to the world. Two hundred different nationalities now make their homes and do business in the UAE and generally enjoy freedom of worship. “We remain committed to harnessing the power of mutual respect, understanding and diversity to achieve shared progress,” UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said on Thursday.
Soon a new Hindu temple will open in Abu Dhabi, further diversifying the religious landscape. But with the proliferation of good things, observers have questioned how far the tolerance initiative will expand. Will the welcoming spirit include converts from Islam, nonbelievers and other communities persecuted in nearby countries, such as Baháʼís and Ahmadis? Do the overlapping initiatives reinforce each other, or duplicate or dilute the overall impact? With all the world’s challenges, can the new complex foster an environment respectful of different beliefs?
UAE Minister of Tolerance Sheikh Nahyan said the center is the Emirates’ attempt to answer these questions.
Such change will not happen overnight. The Abrahamic Family House will be a significant milestone if the center becomes a vibrant place for faiths to interact and fellowship. But a milestone is not an endpoint; rather, it marks progress toward a destination. With its opening, the Abrahamic Family House is now a visible landmark in the Middle East for this journey.
A year before UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan signed the historic Abraham Accords on the White House lawn, his government made a breathtaking announcement: In the spirit of the “Year of Tolerance” – declared by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the country’s leader, in conjunction with the joint visit to the UAE by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of al-Azhar, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, in February 2019 – Abu Dhabi would undertake construction of a world-class complex dedicated to the pursuit of inter-religious dialogue and cooperation, with majestic houses of worship for each of the three Abrahamic faiths.
In a roll-out event at the New York Public Library in September 2019, the award-winning Ghanaian-British architect Sir David Frank Adjaye, designer of the iconic National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, displayed his plans for the identically sized and intricately crafted mosque, church, and synagogue, along with adjoining conference, exhibition, and office space, that would occupy a site on Saadiyat Island across Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street from the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
Witnesses to the presentation – myself included – were awestruck. Unsurprisingly, given the vision of Sheikh Mohammed and the recognized brilliance of Sir David, the plans for what would be named the Abrahamic Family House were stunning in their grandeur, but also in their attention to detail, their clean lines, their balance of common and distinct religious traditions.
When the Pope had come to the UAE – the first papal visit to the Arabian Gulf – he and Sheikh Ahmad had signed “A Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together,” an affirmation of shared values and solidarity against extremism, and “an invitation to reconciliation and fraternity among all believers, indeed among believers and non-believers, and among all people of good will.” The document in itself was hailed as historic; the announcement seven months later of its physical realization in a complex of harmoniously arranged houses of worship – including the first synagogue to be built on the Arabian Peninsula in almost a century – was revolutionary.
♦Related: UAE interfaith compound featuring new synagogue set to open Thursday
A little more than three years later, that revolutionary project is completed and will open its doors to the public. Three houses of worship, serving faiths with a common ancestry, will welcome adherents to express their devotion according to their separate hallowed traditions – as well as respectful observers, of whatever spiritual orientation – on a common campus signifying and celebrating the unity of humanity.
Certainly that implies witches, Satanists, New Agers, Spiritualists, Alien Worshippers, vampires, shapeshifters and Cannibals.
When the Abrahamic Family House initiative was first announced, Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, the Abu Dhabi official placed in charge of the project, spoke of the message his country’s leadership intended to send – from, and to, a region long viewed as indifferent or hostile to inter-religious harmony. “To have the Abrahamic House in the Arab world, in the Muslim world, showcasing that in this part of the world — where all the news is about hate and darkness, pushing an agenda of division — we are basically planting a beacon of light,” he said.
A great deal of light has been emanating from the Arabian Peninsula in recent years, even as Iranian-armed proxies wage war in Yemen, Qatar-funded Al Jazeera glorifies the murder of Israelis, and human rights progress remains slow and uneven.
The Kingdom of Bahrain, with the peninsula’s only indigenous Jewish community, celebrates religious pluralism, proudly hosts the naval arm of the US Armed Forces Central Command, and one year ago inked the first security agreement of any Gulf Cooperation Council member state with Israel.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has undertaken large-scale reforms in its educational curricula to reverse decades of insular, hardline indoctrination, has charged national institutions to coordinate interfaith dialogue, has allowed overflights by Israeli commercial aircraft, and has shown new openness to economic and political contact with the Jewish state.
In the United Arab Emirates, hardly a week goes by that there isn’t a demonstration of commitment to interfaith harmony – and, of course, of the achievement of tangible benefits from the 2020 normalization with Israel. With some 100 flights a week between Israel and the UAE; bilateral trade projected to grow to $10 billion annually within four years; a first-in-the-region museum in Dubai – the private Crossroads of Civilizations Museum – highlighting Jewish heritage in the Gulf and including a wing devoted to the Holocaust; a fast-growing expatriate Jewish community in Dubai and Abu Dhabi; regular interfaith conferences hosted by the Ministry of Tolerance, the Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies, and the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity, the light of outreach and new possibilities is blazing. Not to be forgotten was the Dubai World Expo, which closed its six-month run last March, and to which Israel was invited even before diplomatic relations had been established.
American Jewish Committee, which has worked with governments and civil society partners throughout the region for three decades to build relationships based on shared objectives and trust, opened an office in Abu Dhabi in 2021, the Sidney Lerner Center for Arab-Jewish Understanding – our own ongoing contribution to a brighter future for all the children of Abraham.
Even as the Islamic Republic of Iran brutally represses its own people, recklessly advances its nuclear program, and sows discord among its neighbors, the opposite shore of the Arabian Gulf finds leaders and institutions dedicated to a different, more inclusive, more peaceful region. Perhaps no entity symbolizes that difference, and that shining ray of hope, as dramatically as the Abrahamic Family House. Its opening, and the contributions it promises, are cause for celebration.
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HIGHLIGHTS
About Gate Tower, Abu Dhabi
The Gate Towers & the Arc is an impressive project of Aldar Properties. Gate Towers, Abu Dhabi consist of three 64-storey skyscrapers: Gate Tower 1, Gate Tower 2 and Gate Tower 3 and an arc-like structure called the Arc. These 3 towers support a sky bridge at the top. All three towers are connected at the base by three basement levels, a ground floor level and five podium levels**.** The 22-floor The Arc is linked via a sky bridge to the Shams BOUTIK Mall.
Gate Tower, Abu Dhabi is located at The Gate District, a master community in Al Reem Island, Abu Dhabi. Al Reem is located 600 metres away at the north-eastern coast of Abu Dhabi. Island is connected with Abu Dhabi City via 2 bridges. This gives residents speedy access to neighbouring areas. Those looking for a peaceful lifestyle can choose from the collection of apartments for rent in Al Reem Island.
The Gate Tower – a complex of skyscrapers in Al Reem Island
The Gate Tower, Abu Dhabi was completed in 2014. Residential skyscrapers offer 3,533 apartments, which consist of studios, 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments, 3-bedroom townhouses and 4 and 5 bedrooms duplex penthouses. Floors above the podium contain standard apartments, podium floors have townhouses and sky-bridge has penthouses. The magnificent development of Gate Towers & the Arc is located just 10 minutes away from Downtown Abu Dhabi.
IN A NUTSHELL
- Located in Al Reem Island
- A complex of three towers and The Arc
- 780 ft. high
- 64 floors above the ground
- Arc is 275 ft high with 22 residential floors
- 3,533 residential units
- 1, 2, 3-bedroom apartments, townhouses and penthouses
- 6 passenger lifts and 1 service elevator in each tower
- Three levels of basement parking
- Recreational as well as retail facilities in the podium
When I first saw this Gate Tower, it immediately brought the Georgia Guidestones to mind.
Gate Tower Abu Dahbi | Georgia Guidestones USA |
SPACER
When I looked for photos of Abu Dhabi I was surprised to find how many Arches are in the city. Of course you are aware that arches are portals. If I had to think of a nickname for Abu Dhabi, I would call it the City of Arches.
The long wait for Dubai Frame is finally coming to an end! The iconic structure is all set to shine in its golden cladding soon.
The work has already started on the frame’s glass bridge, and the cladding is expected to be completed by the end of this year, a top senior Dubai Municipality official said.
The golden base of the glass bridge (horizontal leg of the frame) is halfway through, from which workers are installing the stainless steel gold to cover both sides of the bridge. The design is inspired by the Expo 2020 logo, which can already be seen on the bridge.
Measuring 150 metres high and 93 metres wide, the structure now stands tall in Dubai’s Za’abeel Park, with its completion slated for the end of this year.
Launched in 2013, the AED 160 million project was originally planned to open in 2015. The civic body had previously attributed the delay to replacement of the exterior cladding.
The frame is designed to offer visitors a 360-degree view of Dubai as they walk through the bridge on high altitude. It will outline views towards the Emirates Towers and Burj Khalifa on one side and Deira, Umm Harare and Karama from the other.
The Dubai Frame will also have a gallery and a museum located on the ground floor (the horizontal rib bottom of the frame), displaying the story of the city’s evolution and displaying information of its past and present through the use of the latest technological means that suits the comprehensive urban boom taking place in the emirate.
A main panoramic elevator will go up through the frame to get to the glass bridge, allowing visitors to see the actual old and modern Dubai, before they get down from the other side.
The project is expected to become an iconic symbol added to an array of landmarks in Dubai such as the Burj Khalifa and Burj Al Arab.