At the Dubai Opera House in February 2020, I received the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Tolerance Award. The prize recognized my contributions to the cause of humanitarianism and tolerance. In the presence of Sheikh Nahyan and other awardees, Sheikh Ahmad bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum presented me with the prize.
The annual prize was established by the International Institute for Tolerance (IIT) under the supervision of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
According to the Gulf News, the prizes were established "to stimulate entrepreneurship in creating 'tolerance standards' at the national and worldwide level, as well as encouraging interfaith dialogue and projecting the genuine picture of Islam as a religion of tolerance."
Nominations for the awards were collected from all around the globe through the award's website, and a shortlist of nominees was sent to the judges.
A number of celebrities, politicians, students, and government officials attended the award ceremony at the Dubai Opera. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance, and Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Media Office, presented the winners with prizes and trophies.
