Share our Similarities, Respect our Differences

During my visit to Abu Dhabi, I had a chance to visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. It is one of the most magnificent structures I have seen. The grandeur, the intricacy, and the beauty are beyond what I can describe in words. I imagine it will stand there for hundreds if not thousands of years as a symbol of human genius of our time. 

With more than 80 marble domes on a roofline held aloft by over 1000 pillars, the mosque, constructed between 1996 and 2007, is a masterpiece of modern Islamic architecture and design. Over 100,000 tons of pure white marble were used in its construction. Delicate floral designs inlaid with semi-precious stones, such as lapis lazuli, red agate, amethyst, abalone, jasper and mother-of-pearl, decorate a variety of marbles and contrast with the more traditional geometric ceramic details.

What really striked me was the vision of the King who planed, funded and built the mosque. The openness of the design was intended to reflect the concept of tolerance and acceptance. It is promoted as a center for enhancing cross cultural communication and cultural exchanges. It is obviously a mosque, but not overtly religious.

No one knows how much it cost to build the mosque, but the young lady guiding the tour described it as a gift from Zayed to the people, not just people of Abu Dhabi, but to people of all over the world. It is priceless.

As I travel throughout the world, everything I see constantly reminds me that different cultures share much more common values. We may wear different clothes, observe different philosophies, follow different ideas, but we are much more alike than different. We all think, sleep and breathe. We all eat, worry and love. India cherishes its Taj Mahal just as Chinese values its Great Wall. The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul is just as marvelous as the Notre Dame in Paris. The hesitation of Austrian in discussing its history in World War II mirrors very much the lack of a museum in China for future generations to truly reflect the chaotic events in the sixties. The pride of Rio citizens about their role in 2016 summer Olympics is no less than the excitement of people in Sochi in celebrating the 2014 winter Olympics.

The world is getting smaller every day, we need to recognize that we are sharing the planet with billions of people with varying cultural background. With all the commonalities and similarities, we are bounded to have differences. It is natural to expect that each one will seek to advance its own interest, but it is critical to have a constant awareness of our responsibilities in a larger, interlinked and interdependent world. We all have to learn to respect the differences for us to survive on this planet.