G20 Meetings: Religious Leaders Call For Coexistence, Rejection of Hate Speech

A group of religious leaders during the virtual meeting on Tuesday (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A group of religious leaders during the virtual meeting on Tuesday (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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G20 Meetings: Religious Leaders Call For Coexistence, Rejection of Hate Speech

A group of religious leaders during the virtual meeting on Tuesday (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A group of religious leaders during the virtual meeting on Tuesday (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Representatives of 10 different religions and cultures convened in a virtual forum hosted by Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to discuss specific solutions to consolidate ties, counter hate speech, and face Islamophobia.

The forum falls within the meetings of the Group of 20 (G20) – currently chaired by the Kingdom – and is held prior to the leaders’ summit next month.

The G20 Religious Values Forum will continue until Saturday, with the participation of 500 international religious leaders and experts in religious and humanitarian organizations, including 130 speakers from 45 countries.

Tuesday’s opening session featured addresses by former Australian Prime Minister Anthony Abbott, the Secretary-General of the Muslim World League, the Archbishop of Constantinople, the President of the Pontifical Council for Interfaith Dialogue, the President of the European Council of Rabbis, and others.

Three round tables were held simultaneously on the role of religion in building bridges of peace and resolving conflicts. The meetings discussed the importance of coexistence, unity, solidarity and brotherhood, and strengthening communication between different religions and cultures.

Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr. Abdellatif Al-Sheikh emphasized the Kingdom’s humanitarian role and global position in various parts of the world.

He emphasized the need to unify the efforts of governmental and national religious institutions and international organizations to confront the discourse of extremism and Islamophobia and to instill the values of moderation within societies.

For his part, the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Dr. Youssuf Al-Othaimeen, noted that the global challenges resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic have highlighted “the necessity to converge the views of religious leaders and belief organizations over the values of tolerance, solidarity, and moderation.”

The Archbishop of Constantinople, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, touched on “the importance of human dignity and equality between the peoples of the world,” stressing “standing against all forms of racism and injustice, and any other form of discriminatory practices.”

Meanwhile, the Secretary-General of the Muslim World League, Sheikh Dr. Muhammad Al-Issa, said that while “moderate voices reject all forms of hatred, racism, discrimination, and marginalization, other isolated extremist voices only represent their hateful views, which are driven by bad motives.”

“The problem is not in the religious texts, nor the ideas of the great pioneers, but in the understanding and application of these texts, rather than distorting their meaning,” he stated.

In the same context, the President of the Pontifical Council for Interfaith Dialogue, Cardinal Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot, underlined the importance of the work of religious leaders “in spreading hope” within societies.



Saudi Crown Prince: We Stand by Gaza and Lebanon, Reject Attacks on Iran

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the extraordinary Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh on Monday. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the extraordinary Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh on Monday. (SPA)
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Saudi Crown Prince: We Stand by Gaza and Lebanon, Reject Attacks on Iran

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the extraordinary Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh on Monday. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the extraordinary Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh on Monday. (SPA)

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, stressed on Monday the Kingdom’s categorical rejection of Israel’s attacks on Gaza.

He made his remarks while opening the extraordinary Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh.

Crown Prince Mohammed expressed solidarity with Lebanon and declared his rejection of attempts to undermine the role of the Palestinian Authority and efforts to hinder the role of humanitarian agencies in Gaza.

He condemned attempts to thwart the work of UNRWA in the Palestinian territories, while underscoring the need for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

Crown Prince Mohammed also highlighted Saudi Arabia’s launch of an international coalition for supporting the two-state solution to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

He also announced his rejection of attacks on Iranian territories.

Arab and Islamic leaders arrived in Riyadh on Monday to attend the summit.

Speaking at the opening of the event, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi declared: “We condemn the systematic killing of Palestinians in Gaza and we reject their displacement.”

“We must work together to implement the two-state solution,” he urged, while voicing commitment to just and fair peace.

Jordan’s King Abdullah II said: “We must focus our efforts immediately on ending the Israeli siege on Gaza and ending the humanitarian catastrophe.”

“These wars must stop so that we can prevent the region from slipping into a wide-scale conflict,” he added.

“The region is enduring a tragedy that demands immediate action,” he stressed.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas expressed his gratitude to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed for supporting the drive for countries to recognize a Palestinian state, noting that it was the foundation for achieving stability and peace.

He demanded the implementation of United Nations Security Council resolution 2735 that would stop the Israeli assault and allow the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza

He also called on the international community to impose sanctions on Israel, accusing it of committing “genocide against the Palestinian people for over a year.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for “isolating Israel on the international stage should it fail to end its attacks on Gaza and Lebanon.”

He also called for “imposing an arms and trade embargo against it.”

The solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict lies in the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, he stressed.

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said his country is “going through an unprecedented historic and fateful crisis.”

“Israel cannot continue with its assault on Lebanon and its people,” he demanded, saying over 3,000 people have been killed and the human losses are devastating.

Mikati urged the gatherers to continue on sending aid to Lebanon.

On the regional level, he said the greatest challenge lies in the Palestinian cause and the suffering of the Palestinian people, echoing demands for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.