The State of Qatar stressed that it had issued many regulations and laws to counter hate speech and acts and build and develop sustainable interreligious dialogue, highlighting its hosting of interfaith dialogue conferences since 2003.
This came in a speech delivered by HE Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations in Geneva Dr. Hind Abdul Rahman Al Muftah as part of her participation in the eighth Geneva Interfaith Dialogue, convened within the framework of the United Nations (UN) commemoration of the International Interfaith Harmony Week, which is held in the first week of February of each year. It is organized by the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Jordan and the UN Institute for Training and Research and sponsored by the State of Qatar's Permanent Delegation.
HE the Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations in Geneva expressed her respect and appreciation for what the UN is doing in the context of multilateralism, stressing the need for issues related to international and multilateral affairs, human rights, development and sustainable development goals to go hand in hand with the principle of mutual respect, highlighting that the international community needs continuous dialogue, cooperation and solidarity more than ever before to face the enormous and growing challenges facing the world today.
The fundamental role that religion plays in shaping contemporary principles and values that underpin international human rights agreements cannot be denied, Her Excellency said, noting that the concept of the inherent dignity of all members of the human family, for example, is deeply rooted in religious teachings and philosophical ideas.
The recent global crises, such as the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change, highlighted that long-term solutions can only be addressed through a collaborative structure at multiple levels, Her Excellency said.
Commenting on the religious tension, mistrust and the deepening of hatred that prevail in the world today, Her Excellency said that religious tensions can erupt in the form of sectarian violence and can facilitate defamation of others, and then seize public opinion to support waging war on other peoples and religions.
Thanks to the Qatar National Vision 2030, which supports the dialogue of civilizations and promotes intercultural and interfaith coexistence, the State of Qatar is now home to a large number of people of different faiths and religions from more than 100 different nationalities so that they live together in peace and harmony, Her Excellency added.
In this context, Her Excellency highlighted that Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue (DICID), which was established in 2007, hosts an annual conference that brings together religious scholars and philosophers with the aim of creating constructive dialogue and achieving a better understanding of religious principles for the benefit of humanity. The (DICID) regularly holds round tables with the participation of local stakeholders, including local communities, and organizes dozens of training courses for youth, teachers, women, social activists and others, both in Qatar and abroad, Her Excellency said, highlighting the research papers published by the DICID in cooperation with local and global academic and research institutions.
In the same context, Her Excellency stated that the DICID is currently hosting the "Global Youth Interfaith & Intercultural Forum, Qatar 2023", with the participation of a number of young people from all over the world, representing organizations led by youth, civil society, policymakers and philanthropists in a bid to exchange practical approaches in promoting coexistence between people of different cultures and religions. Her Excellency added that the forum is expected to be an important opportunity to advance the role of youth in enhancing intercultural and interfaith harmony and to promote a global message of peaceful coexistence based on the spirit of the UN International Interfaith Harmony Week.
The State of Qatar established in 2010 the Qatari Committee for the Alliance of Civilizations, and hosted the fourth UN Forum for the Alliance of Civilizations in 2011, Her Excellency said, stressing the State of Qatar's strong support for the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) Resolution 16/18 on combating intolerance, negative stereotyping and stigmatization of, and discrimination, incitement to violence, and violence against persons based on religion or belief.
In 2014, the State of Qatar hosted the fourth Istanbul Process meeting in Doha, Her Excellency said, noting that work is underway closely with the State of Qatar's partners to follow up on the implementation of this historic resolution in a bid to strengthen international efforts aimed at confronting religious intolerance.