AFRICA/IVORY COAST - International Day of Fraternity for all people: "Peace is a highly spiritual value"

Monday, 8 February 2021 peace   islam   pope francis  

Abidjan (Agenzia Fides) - On the occasion of the first "International Day of Fraternity for All Men" on February 4th, the Working Group for Peace in Africa, led by Fr. Eric Norbert Abekan, parish priest of the Holy Family of Riviera 2, in the Archdiocese of Abidjan, organized under the patronage of the Apostolic Nuncio in the Ivory Coast, Mgr. Paolo Borgia and Cheick Aïma Mamadou Traoré, President of the Superior Council of Imams of Ivory Coast, organized an evening of reflection and discussion on the Abu Dhabi Declaration. The event was held on 5 February at CERAP, the research and action center for peace.
"The social fabric in our country has been damaged for several years. This is the right opportunity to use the example of Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar to help the Ivorian people to become aware that our world is truly a common home; that each of us is called to experience this openness; openness to God, openness to others, openness to the environment", says Fr. Abekan, while the apostolic nuncio in Ivory Coast, Archbishop Borgia, emphasized in his final greeting that the country has enormous potential for the common good. Imam Konaté Binaté Ibrourahima, who heads the Muslim community in Dokui, on behalf of Sheikh Aïma Mamadou Traoré, emphasized the need for a bridge between the Christian community and the Muslim community and affirmed that
" fraternity in Islam is a foundation and openness to all communities".
Friar Paul Kokouvi Zikpi, professor-researcher in moral theology at the Catholic Missionary Institute of Abidjan, in his speech entitled "Make me an instrument of your peace: a prayer for human fraternity", said that "since peace is a highly spiritual value, it is a gift from God that signifies total harmony with oneself and with others".
At the 75th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 15, 2020, the anniversary of the signing of the Document on Human Fraternity on February 4 was declared "International Day of Fraternity of All Men".
On February 4, 2019, Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar signed in Abu Dhabi the "Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Coexistence", which is a call for peace, tolerance among all people and the rejection of all forms of extremism and violence.
(S.S.) (Agenzia Fides, 8/2/2021)


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