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Mr. Chairman
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We thank the Government and people of Brazil for the excellent arrangements made for the Meeting and warm hospitality extended to us. We extend our appreciation and support to the Governments of Turkey and Spain for pioneering the Alliance of Civilizations. I also want to thank Mr. Jorge Sampaio the High Representative of Alliance of Civilizations for providing leadership to the work of the Alliance.
Mr. Chairman
The world today is confronted with enormous challenges. Besides poverty, hunger and deprivation, extremism and terrorism have emerged as the most serious threats to our open societies. Overcoming these challenges would require concerted national efforts and close international cooperation. No culture has developed in isolation. All faiths and religions preach tolerance, understanding, human dignity, equality and harmony among all human beings.
Regrettably, we are witnessing disturbing growth of new trends and manifestations of racial and religious hatred, negative stereotyping, racial and religious profiling. It is creating new divisions, leading to disharmony and conflict among various ethnic and religious communities.
In recent times, we have witnessed instances of deliberate and provocative insults to the religion of Islam and its sacred personalities and symbols. The publication of cartoons of Prophet Muhammad (May Peace be upon Him) in various newspapers across Europe has been followed by provocative anti-Islam statements by political personalities, blasphemous movies and the recent sketch competition. This trend of Islamophobia is extremely painful for the 1.5 billion Muslim people all over the world. Decisions like banning construction of minarets and dress codes further aggravate the situation. It is creating a dangerous divide in our societies. We must act collectively and act fast to arrest these trends.
Mr. Chairman
Pakistan is the melting pot of many civilizations, it is the home of Indus Valley Civilization and the Ghandara Civilization. Central Asian and Greek influence are also reflected in our cultural heritage.
Pakistan is committed to promote inter-religious and inter-cultural dialogue and harmony. We regularly tables a resolution on “Promotion of interreligious and intercultural dialogue, understanding and cooperation for peace” in the United Nations General Assembly, jointly with Philippines. We recently co-hosted with Spain the 6th ASEM Interfaith Dialogue, in Madrid on 7-9 April 2010. Some of the initiatives undertaken by the Government of Pakistan to promote interfaith harmony and understanding include:
A separate Ministry for Minorities Affairs which looks into the welfare and well-being of the minorities in Pakistan;
11th August has been declared as Minorities Day to promote understanding and harmony among all segments of society;
Interfaith Harmony Committees have been established at local-level, through out the country, with representation of religious leaders from all faiths;
Our fiercely independent and vibrant media provides the conducive ambience for in depth discussion on interfaith issues; and
We have established a Benazir Democracy Institute and a Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Foundation to encourage dialogue for creating an inclusive society.
Mr. Chairman
Pakistan has been actively participating in the meetings of the AoC. With regard to the work of the Alliance we would like to share with all of you that:
We announce the Additional Foreign Secretary for United Nations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to be the Focal Point for the Alliance.
We are encouraging the private sector, NGOs and universities etc from Pakistan to participate in the Alliance’s Global Network; and
There should be an increased role of Group of Friends of Alliance for the Group to play a pro-active role. We hope that the plan to create an Advisory Group to the High Representative can in some manner augment the role of Group of Friends of the Alliance.
Mr. Chairman
Building an alliance of civilizations, in our present day world, is a moral imperative. Peaceful existence can only be achieved through mutual cooperation, understanding and discovering the common elements that are at the core of all great religions, faiths and cultures of the world.
I thank you.