A mosque, church, and synagogue side by side

There are enough reasons for Pope Francis and Grand Imam Ahmed el-Tayeb to be happy as the Abrahamic Family House, a mosque, church, and synagogue sharing a campus in Abu Dhabi, opened its doors to the public on March 1.

The unique multifaith place of worship was inaugurated Feb. 16-19 following the Document on Human Fraternity, inked by Pope Francis and Ahmed el-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, the highest seat of learning in the Islamic world, in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in February 2019.

After the pope and the grand imam singed the Abu Dhabi Declaration, aimed at fostering inter-religious ties, the idea of the Abrahamic Family House (AFH) took shape and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahayn, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, gave the land on Saadiyat Island to set up the AFH.

Named after the patriarch Abraham, revered by Judaism, Christianity and Islam, the official inauguration of the AFH started Feb. 16, with opening ceremonies taking place at each house of worship. On Feb. 19 the inauguration of St. Francis Church took place. The church is entrusted to the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia.

Though inaugurated as a Catholic church, the multi denominational church will be open for worship to all Christian denominations.

The Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue is the first specifically built Jewish place of worship in the Arabian peninsula in 100 years.

Rabbi David Rosen, the international director of interreligious affairs of the American Jewish Committee, attended the inauguration of the Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue, named after the 12th century Sephardic Jewish philosopher known as Maimonides. His scholarly teachings are followed by both the Jewish and Islamic world.

The three places of worship, similar in their cubic design but unique in details, are meant to evoke a traditional spirit which stresses on acceptance, inclusion and peace, according to the AFH website.

"They each express themselves differently but share equal external dimensions," the website said.

Referring to the synagogue in a Muslim-majority region that is in conflict with Jewish state of Israel, Msgr. Yoannis Lahzi Gaid, a Catholic Coptic priest and a member of the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity which is impending the Abu Dhabi Declaration, said in an interview, “It is always necessary to distinguish between faith and politics, between populations and their states."

The Abrahamic Family House will help everyone learn this distinction, Msgr. Gaid, who formerly served as personal secretary to Pope Francis, said.

"It was very exciting to see the believers of the three religions together in the same place, each one living his faith in mutual respect," he said.

The AFH will spread knowledge among believers and non-believers putting thrust on coexistence, tolerance, friendship and reconciliation, as stressed by the Document on Human Fraternity.

The Christian community in the UAE comprises mainly foreign workers, and many Jewish expats also live in the UAE.

Though human rights activists accuse the UAE of anti-democratic and human rights violations, the Sheikdom has been active in promoting tolerance. Together with Bahrain, the UAE signed the Abraham Accords in 2020, which is aimed at normalization of ties with Israel.

Under the Accords, many innovative partnerships in technology, security, and defense have taken place between the UAE and Israel.

The Abrahamic Family House will offer a series of educational and faith-based programs that promote interfaith collaboration.