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Minister of Tolerance, Minister of Happiness
Published on: Sunday, April 07, 2024
By: Kan Yaw Chong
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Dubai cityscape.
Once again, Daily Express is privileged to be invited back to cover the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival in UAE on May 1-13.
At first sight, it looks like a literacy promotion campaign.
But the Emirati Arabs know full well tolerance and coexistence start with children, and well-read children grow up to become open minded which veers them away from extremism.
Extolling cultural diversity – the famous Masaka Kids from Africa performed in Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival in 2023.
Multiculturalism: Performers from the UK.
A narrator of children’s book at the 2023 Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival.
So, maybe it’s time for Kuala Lumpur to consider one, too, for a “Malaysian renaissance” because even socks can be used to spin religious and political turmoils.
But what prompted UAE to start a Ministry of Tolerance and Coexistence? The choice is between moderation or radicalism.
The trigger – 9/11
In an article entitled “How the United Arab Emirates Has Promoted Tolerance, Co-Existence and Multicullturalism to Confront Religious Violence” by Leonard Jacopo Maria Maszzucco and Kristian Alexander in the Manara magazine, Aug 30, 2023, they claim in their opening paragraph as follows:
“When it was discovered that two Emirati citizens were among the 19 hijackers involved in the 9/11 (2001) terrorist attacks, the country’s leadership was deeply concerned. Affiliates of Islamist terrorist groups had infiltrated Emirati society and spread radical, violent ideologies within the country’s borders.
The reputation of the United Emirates had been seriously damaged around the world … The (UAE) government was determined to eradicate violent extremism and radical ideologies and replace them with a moderate version that is inclusive and multicultural. After the Arab Spring uprising across the Middle East in 2011, the UAE doubled down its efforts against violent parties and promote tolerance…”
The wisdom
So, if a Minister of State for Tolerance and Minster of State for Happiness are incredible, products of a “House of Wisdom” response to one – repair international image and two, keeps the moral authority to surmount the challenge from the disaffected demanding change, through a long haul process and mobilising power to produce general happiness and satisfaction.
But even we in Sabah, and Sarawak too, known for our traditional tolerance and unity in diversity, are actually suprised that UAE has gazetted these intangible human aspirations into official Cabinet posts for actual social governance.
DE moral support
So Daily Express has no problem accepting and giving its full moral support to cover the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival going into its 15th year, in the sense of encouraging and make its mission understood.
Helping the organisers feel understood is best captured in the phrase “Arab Renaissance” coined by an Editor-in-chief of TNPS magazine, Mark Williams, and its strategic long term purpose summed up by the late Sheikh Khailfa Bin Sayed Al Nahyan, President of UAE 2004-22.
An Arab Renaissance: Editor-in-chief
Firstly, Mark Williams said this: “The Sharjah Reading Festival is one of the biggest children’s literary events in the world, in 2018 just missing 250,000 visitors, and hitting 300,000 in 2019, before the pandemic arrived to dampen the Arab Renaissance.
The Children’s festival managed a subdued version in 2021 after being shelved in 2020. But in 2022, the Arab Renaissance was back on track themed ‘Create Creativity’ followed by ‘Train Your Brain’ in 2023 and “Once Upon A Hero” (2024), dedicated to nurturing today’s young heroes.
As if emerging from ‘Middle Ages’
So what did the Renaissance do to Europe?
Briefly, the Renaissance emerged from centuries of Middle Ages from the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476, the era of which is often viewed in a negative light like ‘Dark Ages’ marked by ignorance, academic decline, instability, feudalism, chaos, wars, calamity, crusades in Europe, to a period of economic boom especially 15th century onwards with increased trade, prosperity which generated interest in education, flourish of the arts, scientific discoveries and new inventions.
The environment in Sharjah City.
So if this big Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival event is equated to an Arab Renaissance, the late Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s comments shows he understood what was at stake: “Reading opens minds, promotes tolerance, openness and communication, and prepares an educated, informed and open minded people, veering them away extremism and impenetrability.”
The focus is education.
Without going into much details, here we introduce the two unique Ministers.
Meet UAE Minister of Tolerance
First, His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Nabarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Co-existence
The Ministry of Tolerance was first established by Government Decree in February 2016 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.
From left to right: Khoula, His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Nabarak Al Nahyan, Ohood Al Roumi cum Director General in the Prime Minister’s Office
In July 2020, the Ministry of Tolerance was changed to Ministry of Tolerance to Ministry of Tolerance and Coexistence.
Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahyan is a Cabinet Member and Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence.
He assumed this role in October 2017
Joining the Federal Government in 1992, he held several key positions including the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Minister of Education and the Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development.
In addition to his ministerial portfolio, he served as the Chancellor of the United Emirates University from 1983 to 2013, the Chancellor of Higher Colleges of Technology from 1988 to 2013 and President of Zayed University from 1998 to 2013.
He received his secondary education from the British Milifeld School in the UK before joining the Magdalen College at Oxford University.
Meet UAE Minister of Happiness
Meanwhile, one writer says “it’s no joke that UAE has its own Happiness Minister and Wellbeing in person of Ohood Al Roumi cum Director General in the Prime Minister’s Office who says that giving, charity and helping others are values deeply inherent in Emirati society.
Like the Ministry of Tolerance and Coexistence, this “no joke” position is also the brainchild of Sheikh Mohammed-bin Rashid Al Makoum.
With a Bachelor’s degree in economics and a Master’s degree in public administration, she joined the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 2012 and made it to the list of the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders under 40.
Roumi once tweeted: “Happiness in our nation is not a wish, but there will be plans, projects and programmes and indicators and it will be part of the work of our ministries and a part of our way of life.”
Happiness not a wish but serious govt business
“It’s a serious business for a government. What is the purpose of government if it does not work towards the happiness of the people?” she asked.
“It’s the duty and role of the government to create the conditions for the people to choose to be happy,” she shared in an interview in an event in Dubai.
So what falls under the criteria of UAE’s happiness?
She named creating an environment which people feel empowered and providing sound infrastructure, opportunities for good education, jobs and healthcare and ensuring that people feel safe and secure.
Positivity and happiness
Among the initiatives include a national program for Happiness and Positivity in the private sector.
The aim was to provide employees with intuitive and practical skills necessary for driving the happiness and positivity in the organisation.
There was a “100 days of positivity” campaigns in which students, teachers, administrators take a pledge to practise positive behaviour.
Happiness meter
She also introduced online “happiness meters” in city offices where people can record their satisfaction by clicking on the emoji including a national happiness survey the results of which ahs would review.
She has also organised global dialogues on happiness as psrt oof the annual World Government Summit in Dubai.
She also encouraged local media to tell more positive stories in the belief that “happiness is contagious”.
Abrahamic family house in Abu Dhabi housing a church, mosque, synagogue, place for learning, dialogue, worship-focused on creating mutual understanding and goodwill among people of all faiths.
Camels – symbol of UAE’s vast desert country.
Small wonder UAE was voted ‘The Happiest Country in the Arab World’ for eight consecutive years.
But unlike the Ministry of Tolerance and Coexistence which is exclusive and the only of its kind in the world, Bhutan had instituted a “Gross National Happiness Index” that surveys the level of happiness in the country, with Thailand and United Kingdom trying out similar happiness projects.
Meanwhile, India’s State Madhya Pradesh has its Department of Happiness and Venezuela has a Social Happiness Ministry.
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