HIGHER COMMITTEE OF HUMAN FRATERNITY

His Eminence Cardinal Miguel Ángel Ayuso

Perfect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue in the Vatican

Born in Seville Spain, His Eminence Miguel Angel AyusoGuixot is a member of the Congregation of the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus (M.C.C.J.). He was ordained a priest in 1980 and served as a missionary in Egypt and Sudan until 2002.

He received a License in Arabic and Islamic Studies at the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies and received a doctorate in dogmatic theology from the University of Granada. He taught Islamic studies in Khartoum and Cairo.

Since 2012, Cardinal Ayuso has served as the Secretary for the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. On March 19, 2016, he was ordained a bishop by Pope Francis and on September 1, 2019, he was named a Cardinal by Pope Francis. He has served as the Vatican’s principal representative in the continuing dialogue with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmad Al-Tayeb, which as significant in the development of the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together, signed by Pope Francis and Grand Imam Al-Tayeb in Abu Dhabi in February 2019.

Professor Mohamed Hussein Mahrasawi

President of Al-Azhar University

Professor Mohamed Hussein Mahrasawi is the acting President of Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt, which was founded in 970 AD and is renowned as Sunni Islam’s most prestigious university.

Professor Mahrasawi graduated from the Faculty of Arabic Languages at Al-Azhar in 1985 and received master’s and doctorate degrees with distinction. He became a professor in the linguistics department and was later appointed the Dean of the faculty for men in 2013. He has contributed to promoting the mission of Al-Azhar by participating in several international conferences and organizing training sessions of the Arabic language with organizations such as the National Centre for Judicial Studies and the Islamic Cultural Center in Al Giza.

Professor Mahrawsawi is a published author and has been responsible for contributing to the evolution of the Arabic language curriculum at Al-Azhar University, King Khalid University in Abha, the University of Tabuk, and King Saud University in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

His Excellency Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak

Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi

His Excellency Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak is a member of the Executive Council of Abu Dhabi, and Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism, where he presides over the development and growth of tourism and cultural sectors of Abu Dhabi.

His Excellency Al Mubarak is also Chairman of twofour54, a media zone company ensuring growth and sustainability of the region’s media industry. In addition, he holds Chairman positions for Louvre Abu Dhabi and Aldar Academies, the largest modern education provider in Abu Dhabi.

His Excellency Al Mubarak is a graduate of Northeastern University, where he double majored in economics and political science.

His Excellency Ambassador Dr. Khalid AL-Ghaith

Secretary-General of the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity

Has served as the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Malaysia since February 2017, and also as a non-resident Ambassador to Brunei. His notable career trajectory includes various significant roles: Assistant Foreign Minister for Economic Affairs from 2009 to 2016, Assistant Undersecretary for Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Economy in 2007, and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Arab Emirates to the Republic of Turkey in 2003, along with being a non-resident Ambassador to Azerbaijan, among other positions.

Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam

Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders

Judge Abdelsalam served as the former advisor to the Grand Imam of Egypt’s Al-Azhar Dr. Ahmed Al Tayeb for over eight years and assisted in drafting the Document on Human Fraternity signed by the Grand Imam and Pope Francis in Abu Dhabi in February 2019. The same year, Pope Francis awarded Judge Abdelsalam the Order of Pope Pius IX Knight Commander for his services towards spreading tolerance and interfaith dialogue. He is the first Egyptian, Arab, and Muslim to be awarded this accolade. Judge Abdelsalam represented Al-Azhar, the chief center of Islamic and Arabic learning in the world, in the constitutional assembly charged with drafting a new constitution for Egypt and participated in drafting Al-Azhar documents from 2011- 2018. The Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt awarded him the Medal of the Constitutional Court in recognition of his distinguished representation of the Egyptian judiciary during his time at Al-Azhar and the Constitutional Assembly. The Ministry of Interior of the United Arab Emirates awarded Judge Abdesalam the Community Service Medal for his commitment and positive impact towards strengthening security in communities. A graduate of Al-Azhar University, Judge Abdelsalam is a member of the executive office of the Muslim Council of Elders and a member of the Al-Azhar Center for interreligious Dialogue.

Yasser Hareb Emirati

Writer and TV Presenter

Yasser Hareb is a prominent Emirati author, columnist, and television presenter, celebrated for his best-selling books and who is considered one of the strongest voices among Gulf Arab youth.

Hareb is a member of the Muslim Council of Elders and a member of the Higher National Council for the Year of Tolerance in the UAE. He is also the co-founder of the internationally recognized Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies and has been awarded for his work in tolerance and positivity at the Arab Social Media Influencers Summit.

Before becoming a prominent television presenter, Hareb worked as a journalist in several leading newspapers and created numerous social impact programs including Tarjim, the largest translation initiative in the Arab world and Uktub, a program to encourage young talent to advance their writing skills.

Mr. Hareb received a bachelor’s degree in management information systems from United Arab Emirates University and graduated from Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Future Leaders Program.

Monsignor Yoannis Lahzi Gaid

Former Personal Secretary to Pope Francis

Monsignor Yoann is Lahzi Gaid is a Coptic Catholic Priest. Born in Cairo, he received his doctorate from the Coptic Catholic seminary in Cairo and was ordained a priest in the Coptic Catholic Patriarchate of Alexandria.

Monsignor Gaid studied at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome, earning a doctorate in Canon Law of the Eastern Churches and graduated from the Ecclesiastical Pontifical Academy.

In addition to serving as the Personal Secretary to His Holiness Pope Francis, Monsignor Gaid served in various functions for the Vatican Apostolic Nunciature and Secretariat of State in Congo, Gabon, Jordan, and Iraq.

Monsignor Gaid is the founder of the St. Peter’s Software & Publishing House of the Coptic Catholic Church in Egypt and is Editor-in-Chief of the Alexandria Coptic Catholic website.