11-07-2005, 06:31 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>UN adopts resolution for religious harmony</b>
UNITED NATIONS: The UN General Assembly approved a Pakistan-sponsored resolution on Sunday calling on governments to promote religious and cultural understanding, harmony and cooperation.
The text, introduced by Pakistanâs delegate Riaz Khokhar, was adopted by consensus. The resolution acknowledges the âvaluable contributionâ of various initiatives - including Pakistanâs enlightened moderation - as a strategy to promote peace and harmony.
By itâs terms, the 191-member Assembly expressed alarm that serious instances of intolerance and discrimination on grounds of religion or belief, including acts of violence, intimidation and coercion motivated by religious intolerance, are on the increase worldwide and threaten the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
In that connection, the Assembly encouraged governments to promote, including through education as well as the development of progressive curricula and text books, understanding, tolerance and friendship among human beings in all their diversity of religion, belief, culture and language.
Introducing the text, Khokhar said that the world had to choose between a world of peace or one of conflict. Fear had to be replaced with acceptance and hatred with respect. Cooperation, and not the clash of civilisations, had to be the international communityâs collective endeavour. âPromotion of understanding, harmony and cooperation among religions and cultures can lift the veil of ignorance, misconception and prejudice that have become so tragically pervasive in recent times,â he added.
He said that the item on a culture of peace was reminiscent of the commitment made at the founding of the UN 60 years ago. Those principles were reaffirmed in the Millennium Declaration five years ago and again at the World Summit this year. The dawn of the new millennium witnessed a new era, and todayâs was a world of intensifying globalisation and conflict, Khokhar said. app<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
UNITED NATIONS: The UN General Assembly approved a Pakistan-sponsored resolution on Sunday calling on governments to promote religious and cultural understanding, harmony and cooperation.
The text, introduced by Pakistanâs delegate Riaz Khokhar, was adopted by consensus. The resolution acknowledges the âvaluable contributionâ of various initiatives - including Pakistanâs enlightened moderation - as a strategy to promote peace and harmony.
By itâs terms, the 191-member Assembly expressed alarm that serious instances of intolerance and discrimination on grounds of religion or belief, including acts of violence, intimidation and coercion motivated by religious intolerance, are on the increase worldwide and threaten the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
In that connection, the Assembly encouraged governments to promote, including through education as well as the development of progressive curricula and text books, understanding, tolerance and friendship among human beings in all their diversity of religion, belief, culture and language.
Introducing the text, Khokhar said that the world had to choose between a world of peace or one of conflict. Fear had to be replaced with acceptance and hatred with respect. Cooperation, and not the clash of civilisations, had to be the international communityâs collective endeavour. âPromotion of understanding, harmony and cooperation among religions and cultures can lift the veil of ignorance, misconception and prejudice that have become so tragically pervasive in recent times,â he added.
He said that the item on a culture of peace was reminiscent of the commitment made at the founding of the UN 60 years ago. Those principles were reaffirmed in the Millennium Declaration five years ago and again at the World Summit this year. The dawn of the new millennium witnessed a new era, and todayâs was a world of intensifying globalisation and conflict, Khokhar said. app<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->