UNITED NATIONS – Top United Nations officials Friday called for promotingthe values of religious tolerance, peaceful co-existence and dialogue at afirst-ever inter-faith Iftar hosted by Pakistani nationals working in theUN system to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan.
“Ramadan offers all of us – Muslim and otherwise – the chance to recognizeour shared values, to embrace our diversity, and to celebrate our commonhumanity,” the UN General Assembly President, María Fernanda Espinosa, tolda large gathering of diplomats, UN officials and journalists on the lawnsof UN Headquarters in New York.
Other UN officials pursuing the same theme at the event were UN DeputySecretary-General Amina Mohammed and UN Special Adviser on the Preventionof Genocide, Adana Dieng, who represented Secretary-General AntonioGuterres.
Being extended to the gathering UN chief’s message of “best wishes” for ablessed month of Ramadan.
Welcoming the dignitaries and participants, Pakistan’s Ambassador to theUnited Nations, Maleeha Lodhi focused on Islam’s core values of compassion,tolerance and inter-faith harmony, saying that the world body was anexpression of multilateralism.“Inter-faith gatherings are much needed today when the world is best withtensions, gaps in understanding and disharmony,” she said.
Ambassador Lodhi praised Muhammad Irfan Soomro, a senior UN official andPresident of the newly-formed UN staff Recreation Pakistan Club, for hisinitiative in forming the club and in bringing together representatives ofdifferent faiths.
On his part, Soomro said the aim of UN-Pakistan Club was to promotelearning and mutual understanding among the staff of all faiths to cometogether and partake alongside Muslim brothers and sisters in celebratinginter-cultural exchange during the holy month of Ramadan.
In her remarks on the occasion, General Assembly President Espinosa saidtoday’s gathering represented a “graceful defiance” of rising Islamophobiaand this year’s horrific attacks against mosques, as well as churches andsynagogues around the world.
“At this difficult moment for the world, it can feel as though we, too, arein graceful defiance of those who question the value of multilateralism,precisely when we need it most,” she said.
President Espinosa called for redoubling efforts to build a safer, fairerand more sustainable future for all people, everywhere.
Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed said the best solutions tointernational problem emerge from thinking creatively, sharing burdens,working hand-in-hand.
She said the spirit of compassion, tolerance and mutual respect wasreflected in the core values of all major religions as well as the UnitedNations.“This is our mandate every day. To nurture dialogue. To promote socialjustice. To build peace,” the deputy secretary-general said.
“I thank you for being here to do just that. I wish you a blessed Ramadan.”Speaking next, Special Adviser Dieng also stressed the core vales ofRamadan, saying, “At a time that we are we are seeing the widespread use ofmessages — in public discourse an the media — to incite hatred andhostility against individuals and communities, based on their identity;tonight’s Iftar demonstrates that we are ONE.
“Let then Ramadan be a moment to unite us in our common humanity, whateverreligion we profess. Let us stand with all those in need, those who sufferfrom prejudice, discrimination and abuse often owing to their religiousbelief,” he said.“Let this holy month be a moment to strengthen our commitment to justice,equality and compassion shared by all great faiths.”