Indian Orthodox Churchesin UAE donates AED 115,000 and relief goods for the UAE Compassion Campaign (TARAHAMU)

Emirates Red Crescent received AED115000 and relief goods

Dubai, January 25, 2015: A delegation of representatives of seven Indian Orthodox Churches in the UAE met Emirates Red Crescent officials in Dubai and handed AED115,000 and goods like blankets, foodstuff and warm clothes as the community donation for the UAE Compassion (Trahamu) campaign launched to provide relief to thousands of Syrian refugees in the Levant who are exposed to blizzard and freezing winter in make-shift tents with inadequate facilities.

The Supreme Head of Indian Malankara Orthodox Church and Catholicose of All The East Moran Mar Baselios Marthoma Paulose II had instructed all church members in UAE to actively participate by putting heart and soul in the campaign launched as per the directives of the UAE President,His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and reiterated by the UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Mohammed Abdullah Alhaj Al Zaroni, Manager of Dubai Office of Emirates Red Crescent, and his team of officials and volunteers received the delegation headed by Rev.Father Shaji Mathew, Vicar of St. Thomas Orthodox Church in Dubai, at the Red Crescent headquarters in Umm Ramool in Dubai on Sunday (January 25). The other members of the delegation were Jacob Mathew, Managing Committee Member, M M Kuriakose, Trustee, Thomas Joseph, Secretary, C G Babu and Dr. K C Cheriyan.

A short documentary on the relief work under by the Emirates Red Crescent in Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan and other countries was screened for the delegation.

Mr. Al Zaroni thanked the delegation for the contribution made by over 30000 church followers in the UAE following the call made by Supreme Head of Indian Malankara Orthodox Church and Catholicose of All The East Moran Mar Baselios Marthoma Paulose II. By the end of the campaign, over 228 million have been donated by the expatriates and Emiratis and government and private sector organizations across the UAE in addition to hundreds of tonnes of relief materials and foodstuff.

Rev.Father Shaji Mathew told the Red Crescent team about the enthusiastic response to the campaign by the Indian Orthodox Churches in the UAE. He said an encyclical by the Primate was read out in all Indian Orthodox Churches in UAE during the Friday worship and they adored the magnanimous efforts of the UAE leaders in humanitarian activities like the UAE Compassion campaign.

The delegation praised the noble human values of the United Arab Emirates and its wise leadership which was promoting tolerance, peace and humanitarian work among the people in distressaround the world and helping the needy and disadvantaged people without distinction of race, religion, gender or affiliation.

He recalled that Supreme Head of Indian Malankara Orthodox Church and Catholicose of All The East Moran Mar Baselios Marthoma Paulose II had praised the religious tolerance and freedom in the UAE contributing towards making the UAE an oasis of peace and stability, at a time when many countries in the region are witnessing conflicts. He pointed out that the UAE was a model for the world in terms of tolerance and religious freedom and coexistence between different religions and nationalities.