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GMA Urges World Leaders to Promote Interfaith Dialogue
NEW YORK — President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo called on her fellow world leaders to promote world peace and encourage cross-religion exchange through broader interfaith dialogue.
Arroyo urged for the passage of Draft Resolution No. A/63/L24 entitled Promotion of Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, Understanding and Cooperation for Peace, tabled jointly by the Philippines and Pakistan and co-sponsored by about 60 states.
"This will demonstrate once again our solidarity for the promotion of interfaith dialogue as a powerful aid to ensure durable peace worldwide," the President said in her speech at the UN General Assembly Wednesday, Nov. 12.
Arroyo suggested that broader interfaith dialogues to promote solidarity must be pursued and lamented the fact that the concept of faith varied from culture to culture and was often "twisted."
"Regrettably, the story of faith has too often been twisted into a source of despair and destruction among peoples and nations. There are those who wish to instigate religious war. There are those who use faith to divide rather than unite us. They camouflage their evil designs by invoking religious prejudice in the hope of heightening a clash of civilizations," the President said in her speech.
"Our challenge is to redeem the true meaning of our faith if we are to truly bring peace and prosperity to the world," Arroyo said. "But we must not mistake tolerance and understanding of other faiths and belief systems as a blank check for abuse. We will never accept violence cloaked in religion by anyone at anytime."
Arroyo joined other world leaders at the two-day UN General Assembly "Culture of Peace" plenary.
The high-level meeting, convened by General Assembly President Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, sought to promote a global dialogue about religions and cultures.
King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia was the first head of state to delver an address, followed by President Arroyo. Other world leaders such as Kuwait’s Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Israel’s President Shimon Peres, Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, Jordan’s King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein, Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai also attended the first day of high-level meetings.
US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice represented President George W. Bush on the first day. Bush was scheduled to deliver his speech Nov. 13.
"The resolution is especially relevant to the United Nations under the leadership of His Excellency Ban Ki-Moon because for the first time in UN history the Secretary-General has issued a report on interreligious and intercultural activities," Arroyo said.
Among the salient points of the suggested resolution is the affirmation that mutual understanding and interreligious dialogue constitute an important part of the alliance among civilizations and of the culture of peace.
The resolution encourages the promotion of dialogue among the media from all cultures and civilizations. It emphasizes that everyone has the right to freedom of expression.
It also reaffirms that the exercise of this right carries with it duties and responsibilities necessary for respect of the rights or reputations of others, protection of national security or of public order, or of public health or morals.
The resolution also requests for the proclamation of a UN decade for interreligious and intercultural dialogue, understanding and cooperation for peace.
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