Community of Sant'Egidio - Community of Sant'Egidio - Naples 2007 - A WORLD WITHOUT VIOLENCE

Ezzeddin Ibrahim - Founder of the University of the United Arab Emirates

21/10/2007 - 17:30 - Teatro S.Carlo e collegamento con la Piazza Plenary Assembly
Ezzeddin Ibrahim Founder of the University of the United Arab Emirates

Mr Chairman,

Distinguished participants and guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen

I bring to you the greetings of ï¿½Salamï¿½ from the Muslim world. It is one of peace philologically and religiously. ï¿½Salamï¿½ in Arabic means peace; and ï¿½salamï¿½ in the Holy Qurï¿½an (Ch II verse 208) is the peaceful goal which all human beings are called for and persuaded to achieve. Also, verse 61 in Ch 8 has these meaningful holy words ï¿½You must incline towards peace and put your trust in God.ï¿½

I also bring to you three messages; firstly to reconfirm the adherence of the Muslim world to the cause of peace and the support for the efforts initiated by His Holiness Pope John Paul II in October 1986. Secondly, to suggest the extension of the concept of ï¿½peaceï¿½ to encompass additional facets not receiving their due attention. And thirdly, to move a motion for establishing an executive machinery for this international body of believers in God, who endeavour collectively to fulfill His guidance ï¿½to establish Peace on Earthï¿½.

As for the first message, we Muslims confirm, anew and repeatedly, that we are wholeheartedly for peace with the world religions, nations, races and cultures. At the same time we concede that some Muslim individuals and groups, responding to unjustified provocations in places such as Iraq and Afghanistan and to unfair dealings in Palestine, have gone astray and wronged themselves by violent actions. But never can isolated wrong actions negate the peaceful position of an entire world of more than one billion peoples living in more than fifty countries and spreading over the six continents.

Certainly, by way of assessment, we are delighted to note that the culture of peace is prevailing over the culture of war, at least as an ideal international slogan. The latest manifestation of this is the recent resolution adopted by the United Nations to declare the 2nd of October, which coincides with the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, an ï¿½International Day of Non-Violenceï¿½ which is to be observed annually. This is exactly what Pope John Paul II hoped for since his cry for International Peace from Assisi.

However, we are dismayed by the behaviour of some great powers who continue to act aggressively against other countries, by means of military occupation under fabricated pretexts which were later proved wrong and farfetched, proxy wars in accordance with loyalty as in Somalia, forced regime changes and blunt interference in other countries affairs. Also, double dealings by supporting a dictator in one place and toppling another elsewhere, and at the same time piling mass devices of destruction in a puppet state while denying other states legal and justifiable research for peaceful development causes.

Notwithstanding our disappointment, we should not deviate from our course of inculcating and supporting the culture of peace.

The second message is that ï¿½peaceï¿½ cannot be limited to the cessation of wars and military conflicts. We should call for ï¿½Peace with Mother Natureï¿½ by stopping ecological aggressions which have already reached alarming levels and caused tsunamis, earthquakes, fires and terrible floods. According to solid scientific evidence, planet earth could eventually be demolished and wiped out. Even if we are to decide now, in 2007, to control our gas emissions and similar destructive practices, the world requires at least 20 years to go back to where we were in the previous millennium. We were expecting the recent meeting which was held in Sydney, Australia two months ago under the Chairmanship of the Australian Prime Minister to call upon the hesitant states to join the 171 countries that have ratified the Kyoto Protocol for controlling carbon emissions. Instead, that meeting recommended different new measures that included a strange call upon African states to cooperate, as if poor Africa which is not noted for its abundance of factories and heavy consumption of energy is one of the causes of global warming. Just imagine an African mother who sets fire to boil some bananas for her hungry children, could this action be thought of as one of the reasons for global warming.

We should also advocate ï¿½Peace for Children.ï¿½ In many parts of the world children suffer from several shameful types of abuse. When they are in the form of embryos they can be subjected to abortion; when newly born they can be kidnapped and traded for illegal adoption; when at school age they may be educationally neglected and forced to take up early labour; when as teenagers they may be lured to join military rebellious troops, while at all ages they can be abused physically, emotionally, sexually and psychologically. Even in the world of animals the youngsters are better protected.

ï¿½Peace among Religions, religious sects and places of worshipï¿½. This is an important facet of ï¿½peaceï¿½. In this assembly, the Abrahamic religions are privileged to be well represented. This is understandable and justifiable, but do we have with us enough representation of religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism who between them have got a following strength of almost 2 billion people? All religions should experience respect for one another, and refrain from unjustified refutations and indecent ridiculous comments disseminated by mass media. The Holy Qurï¿½an (Ch 109 verse 9) calls for peaceful coexistence with all religions, this verse reads ï¿½You have your religion and I have mine.ï¿½

Other types of ï¿½peaceï¿½ can also be enlisted. Just to name some: ï¿½Peace for the needy countriesï¿½; which should go beyond the hypocritical declarations of waiving their debts. Such debts cannot be repaid anyway. In the meeting of the G8 summit on 8 June 2007 the assistance extended to the poorest countries was limited just to a select few, others were forgotten about. Much needed help for positive development was spelt out in terms of recommendations rather than actions and solid commitments. ï¿½Peace for the sickï¿½ and especially those afflicted with miserable incurable diseases who are deprived of even reasonably priced medicines. A number of conferences were held about how to combat Aids, HIV, Malaria etc but the medicines required for that were not permitted to be reproduced even under licence in Asian and African countries. Victims in those countries who cannot afford to buy these medicines are left to die. Human knowledge and discoveries, especially in the area of medical treatment, should not be denied to all those who need it. In this respect, I pay tribute to an Italian scholar Professor Safirro Alberti of Kiety University who two weeks ago announced the discovery of a gene which controls a host of cancers such as those of the colon, stomach, lungs, prostate and pancreas. He said very soon remedies for these diseases will most hopefully be controlled in the light of this discovery. Such discoveries can not be monopolized. Above all ï¿½Peace of mindï¿½ and ï¿½Peace of soulsï¿½ which have been at the core of the teachings contained in the Torah, the Bible, the Qurï¿½an and other Holy books and without which no other type of peace can be achieved.

Finally, this important grouping of Godfearing people cannot and should not limit itself to processions, conferences and seminars only, although themselves important and proven indispensable. We need to form a permanent and authorised executive machinery for following up and executing any decisions we may make. This may be named an Executive Secretariat or Task Action Committee or any other name. Its programme should include coordination between participants and sympathizers; attending regional and international meetings held for the cause of peace and issuing statements and press releases on happenings related to peace or the breach of it. The committee should establish an international position similar to that of human rights groups, The Red Cross and Crescent Societies and the like, and also seek a position of oberserver with relevant agencies such as the United Nations, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, the Organisation of African Unity and the Organisation of the Non Allied Countries.

I am aware that the Santï¿½ Egidio Community is already recognised as the defacto representative of this assembly, and for that and for its admirable successes in peace coinage in some areas, especially in Africa, we pay our tribute.

It would now be just and proper to officially authorise this reputable community to act on behalf of this assembly for this purpose. The committee may then consider adding a few representatives of the components of this assembly.

Ladies and Gentlemen, may we all strive to find the strength to do our utmost towards the cessation of violence and hostilities; to promote peace and stability, happiness and harmony and continue our cooperation for the good of mankind and for the benefit of our innocent children.