Fw: A Message of Peace and Tolerance

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Dr. William F. Vendley <c+rfp@trusted-sender.convio.net>
To: kafegy@yahoo.com
Sent: Saturday, 22 September 2012, 2:25
Subject: A Message of Peace and Tolerance

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Esteemed Colleague, With regard to the current events related to the offensive slandering of the Islamic Prophet Mohammed in the media, members of Religions for Peace around the world are united in the conviction that no one should dishonor or bring disrespect upon the sincere religious beliefs of the other. We deplore the egregious acts intended to defame what the entire Islamic community holds to be unspeakably dear. We are united in our sympathy for fellow Islamic religious believers who have felt so deeply offended. While acknowledging the deep hurt felt by Muslims around the world—we are united in rejecting the killing of persons and the destruction of property as a reaction to these offensive acts. We are thankful for the many Islamic leaders around the world who have strongly counseled against violent reactions, while at the same time exercising their due rights to call attention to and firmly reject the repugnant defaming of Islam. We all know that extremism of one kind "feeds" upon extremism of another kind. In today's world, we recognize that there are people who are trying to drive a wedge between diverse religious communities. We cannot allow ourselves to be polarized by acts intended to offend, sow distrust and fuel animosity among believers of different faiths. Rather, we must re-double our commitments to multi-religious dialogue and cooperation. It is also heartening to see that governments and intergovernmental bodies are working together on this issue in a highly constructive fashion. Below you will find a shared statement from four organizations that I felt you would appreciate receiving and might find useful to have at hand. Grateful for your efforts to advance principled multi-religious solidarity and cooperation, I remain Yours in partnership,     Dr. William F. Vendley Secretary-General     Joint statement by OIC Secretary General, Arab League Secretary General, African Union Commissioner for Peace & Security and the European Union High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy As representatives of four regional organizations, we want to send a message today of peace and tolerance. We share a profound respect for all religions. We are united in our belief in the fundamental importance of religious freedom and tolerance. We condemn any advocacy of religious hatred that constitutes incitement to hostility and violence. While fully recognizing freedom of expression, we believe in the importance of respecting all prophets, regardless of which religion they belong to. The anguish of Muslims at the production of the film insulting Islam, posting of its trailer on the internet and other similar acts, is shared by all individuals and communities who refuse to allow religion to be used to fuel provocation, confrontation and extremism. We condemn any message of hatred and intolerance. We know that the behaviour of small groups of people does not speak for the larger communities from which they hail; but the damage they can inflict can be considerable. We must ensure that the recent events do not undermine the relationships of trust and respect we have built up over so many years among our peoples, communities and states. The international community cannot be held hostage to the acts of extremists on either side. We condemn the recent attacks on diplomatic missions resulting in tragic loss of lives. Violence can have no place in our societies and offensive speech cannot be met with violent acts as it will only create a spiral of brutality from which we will all suffer. Reason rather than rage must prevail. So today we call for an end to violence wherever it has appeared. We call for peace and restraint. We reiterate our strong commitment to take further measures and to work for an international consensus on tolerance and full respect of religion, including on the basis of UN Human Rights Council resolution 16/18. We further call on all leaders, whether they be political, secular or religious, to promote dialogue and mutual understanding. And we will continue our efforts to show that what joins us together across regions and religions is far greater than what separates us. The only answer to the darkness of intolerance and ignorance is the light of mutual respect, tolerance and dialogue.

RELIGIONS FOR PEACE—the world's largest and most representative multi-religious coalition—advances common action among the world's religious communities for peace. Religions for Peace works to transform violent conflict, advance human development, promote just and harmonious societies, and protect the earth. The global Religions for Peace network comprises a World Council of senior religious leaders from all regions of the world; six regional inter-religious bodies and more than eighty national ones; and the Global Women of Faith Network and Global Interfaith Youth Network. 777 United Nations Plaza | New York, NY 10017 USA | Tel: +1 212-687-2163 | Fax: +1 212-983-0098 | http://act.religionsforpeace.org/site/R?i=q2338lr5BuGBM2zv8Kb9Og  SUBSCRIPTIONS     UPDATE PROFILE   If you received this email from a friend, sign up to receive future emails.   Vist us at

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