The decision of the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and the Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to step in and help the Cornish village of Godolphin Cross in Britain to raise funds for the purchase of a chapel has received widespread acclaim.

Photo Credit: The Independent

As reported by UK media, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum provided the “majority of the GBP 100,000 target.” “It’s a fairy tale really. It’s not often a sheikh steps in to help a Cornish village,” Richard McKie, the Chairman of the Godolphin Cross Community Association, told The Telegraph.

Thanks to the donation received from the Emir and from other contributors, the local community “has now raised what it needed to complete the purchase.”

The Chairman of the Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Global Dialogue Dr. Hanif Hassan Al Qassim expressed deep appreciation for Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s initiative which is an eloquent expression of the Centre’s own commitment to harness the joint power of Islam and Christianity in the pursuit of greater understanding between civilizations and of equal citizenship rights.

Dr. Al Qassim stressed that the initiative reflects the conscious vision of a distinguished leadership spreading the values of tolerance, co-operation and solidarity among people and nations, as well as respecting their beliefs and cultures.

This, he continued, contributes to raising awareness of the true message of tolerance and understanding of Islam towards other Divine religions.