We witness attacks on religious sites around the world, UN Representative
Director of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) Nihal Saad stressed the importance of the protection of religious sites around the world, Kazinform News Agency reports.
Addressing the XXIII sitting of the Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Astana, Nihal Saad said representatives of 17 religions and over 100 ethnic groups have for centuries coexisted peacefully in Kazakhstan. She noted Kazakhstan promoted the dialogue in political and religious spheres and strengthened mutual understanding between the nations beyond their borders through international policy and the Congress. She highlighted Kazakhstan is a significant partner that supports the UN mission in widening cooperation between people and various cultures.
In her opinion, the Congress and the UN Alliance share many common goals supporting the dialogue to resolve conflicts and supporting understanding and cooperation for peace.
She thanked Kazakhstan for supporting the implementation of the action plan for safeguarding religious sites. It was drafted in September 2019. The action plan is called to respond to attacks on religious sites.
“Despite the global attempts, we became witnesses to attacks on religious sites around the world. The Alliance is profoundly convinced all the houses of worship around the world must be safe havens, not sites of bloodshed and terror,” Nihal Saad emphasized.
Earlier, OIC confirmed participation in the VIII Congress of World and Traditional Religions' Leaders scheduled for September 17-18 in Astana.
