Arab politicians call for UN ban on religious slander

-01/03/06

More than 200 Arab poli


Arab politicians call for UN ban on religious slander

-01/03/06

More than 200 Arab politicians have called for pressure on the United Nations to ban the slandering of religions, following publication of the contentious Prophet Muhammad cartoons.

The call came at the end of a two-day conference at a Dead Sea resort in Jordan.

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“We urge Arab and Muslim governments to spare no effort to pressure the UN to issue a resolution banning the slandering of religions,” the politicians representing the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union said in a statement.

Those who violate such a resolution should face legal action, the statement said.

Meanwhile, in Doha, Qatar, the furore over the cartoons was described as just a small part of an expanding divide between Islam and the West.

Attending a UN-sponsored conference aimed at healing the deepening rift, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and another 19 delegates agreed that key ways to bridge the chasm were reaching out to young people and providing more education.

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Even then, they agreed it would take years of dialogue and practical measures before the rift can be healed.

Tutu said: “What has happened – and the aftermath – has been seen as a symptom of a more serious disease. Had relationships been different, one, the cartoons might not have happened, or if they had, they probably would have been handled differently.”

Asked to define extremism, Tutu suggested it occurred when the possibility of difference was not permitted or other views were shouted down. The archbishop suggested that while it was good to be passionate about oneís point of view, it was not so when one did not allow anotherís view which happened to be different.

ìMy father used to say, ëDonít raise your voice, but improve your argument,î recalled the former archbishop.

Violence continues in some places around the world following the publication of the cartoons. Amongst, them, Nigeria has seen its worst violence since 2004, with 127 people dying the Muslim-Christian clashes.


Arab politicians call for UN ban on religious slander

-01/03/06

More than 200 Arab politicians have called for pressure on the United Nations to ban the slandering of religions, following publication of the contentious Prophet Muhammad cartoons.

The call came at the end of a two-day conference at a Dead Sea resort in Jordan.

Related Books


Conviction and Conflict: Islam, Christianity and World Order by
Michael Nazir-Ali only £14.99

More books on religion

“We urge Arab and Muslim governments to spare no effort to pressure the UN to issue a resolution banning the slandering of religions,” the politicians representing the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union said in a statement.

Those who violate such a resolution should face legal action, the statement said.

Meanwhile, in Doha, Qatar, the furore over the cartoons was described as just a small part of an expanding divide between Islam and the West.

Attending a UN-sponsored conference aimed at healing the deepening rift, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and another 19 delegates agreed that key ways to bridge the chasm were reaching out to young people and providing more education.

Related Articles

Even then, they agreed it would take years of dialogue and practical measures before the rift can be healed.

Tutu said: “What has happened – and the aftermath – has been seen as a symptom of a more serious disease. Had relationships been different, one, the cartoons might not have happened, or if they had, they probably would have been handled differently.”

Asked to define extremism, Tutu suggested it occurred when the possibility of difference was not permitted or other views were shouted down. The archbishop suggested that while it was good to be passionate about oneís point of view, it was not so when one did not allow anotherís view which happened to be different.

ìMy father used to say, ëDonít raise your voice, but improve your argument,î recalled the former archbishop.

Violence continues in some places around the world following the publication of the cartoons. Amongst, them, Nigeria has seen its worst violence since 2004, with 127 people dying the Muslim-Christian clashes.