The UN on Thursday acknowledged the world interfaith dialogue process initiated by King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, in Madrid earlier this year, and appreciated his proposals made at the General Assembly, Wednesday, to keep the dialogue going, free from any political interference. A statement issued by the General Assembly at the end of its 63rd session on “Culture of Peace,” which was attended by some 80 world leaders, appreciated King Abdullah's proposals for forming a steering committee of representatives of all religions and faiths represented in the Madrid conference in July, and for allocating a trust fund to guarantee the autonomy of the dialogue process and its continuation free from any political interference. In his UN speech, King Abdullah said that throughout history, differences between followers of religions and cultures had engendered intolerance, causing devastating wars and bloodshed without any sound logical or ideological justification. It was time to learn from the harsh lessons of the past and agree on ethics and ideals in which everyone believed, he said. “Terrorism and criminality are the enemies of every religion and every civilization,” King Abdullah said. “They would not have emerged except for the absence of the principle of tolerance.” The General Assembly's statement said the meeting reaffirmed the purposes and principles enshrined in the UN Charter and in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It said that, under the Charter, all states have pledged to promote and encourage respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, including freedoms of religion and expression, without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion. The statement underlined the importance of promoting dialogue, understanding and tolerance among human beings, as well as respect for all their diverse religions, cultures and belief. It expressed concern about the increase in serious instances of intolerance, discrimination, expressions of hate, and harassment of minority communities of all faiths, as well as derision of religious symbols, and misuse of religions in actions of terrorism, violence and coercion. The statement rejected using religion to justify the killing of innocents, which directly contradicts the commitment of all religions to peace, fraternity and love. It called for disseminating a culture of tolerance and mutual understanding through dialogue, and for supporting the initiatives of religious leaders, civil society, and member states to deepen interfaith and intercultural dialogue. It recognized the Madrid conference initiated by King Abdullah and King Juan Carlos I of Spain as “the latest in a series of initiatives made by religious leaders, civil society, and member states seeking to entrench the culture of peace and understanding among the proponents of various faiths, cultures, and civilizations; and spread among all people a culture of respect for human rights and tolerance, as well as the recognition of the common humanity of us all.” – Okaz/SG __
