QNAManama
Speaker of the Shura Council HE Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim on Sunday hailed Qatar as a model for peaceful coexistence under the wise leadership that nurtures the values of tolerance, coexistence and acceptance of the other.
Addressing the 146th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Bahrain, Al Ghanim hailed the Qatari people as homogeneous who are united by one religion, language, culture and history. He also highlighted the culturally and religiously diverse residents who hail from more than 80 countries dominated by a culture of tolerance and acceptance of the other.
He said Qatar exerted great efforts to combat violence, promote the language of dialogue, spread the values of tolerance and respect, and achieve peaceful coexistence among individuals and societies.
Qatar has launched many initiatives that support dialogue among different cultures and civilizations, he added.
Based on this pioneering role of the government and people of Qatar, the Shura Council, on behalf of the Arab Group, submitted a request to include the issue of criminalizing blasphemy of religions as an emergency item on the IPU's agenda under the title "criminalizing blasphemy of religions and violating places of worship and sanctities, spreading hatred among peoples and calling for promoting the values of coexistence, tolerance, international peace and security', His Excellency added in the GA held under the theme 'Promoting peaceful coexistence and inclusive societies: fighting intolerance'.
He also stressed the role that parliamentarians play as representatives of peoples, and the great responsibility they bear in addressing the causes and motives of intolerance, combating hate speech, and promoting the values of tolerance, integration and peaceful coexistence, by adopting the enactment of legislation that enhances and maintains the cohesion of the social fabric, and criminalizes everything that stirs up tribal, sectarian and religious strife.
Al Ghanim called on parliamentarians and the geopolitical groups in the IPU to adopt legislation that achieves this, by calling for adopting international legislation criminalizing contempt of religions and infringement of religious places and sanctities, by supporting the emergency clause.
The Shura Council speaker began his speech with a Qur'anic verse that affirms the unity and coexistence of mankind, expressing regret at the instability the world is witnessing today, with large parts hit by conflicts and increasing border tensions, clashes, and wars.
He lambasted the inability of the international community and humanitarian and human rights organisations to establish a system that achieves security and stability, the administration of justice and the protection of human rights, which was reflected in the difficulty of achieving peaceful coexistence, reducing violence in various societies, and the spread of hate speech.
He pointed out that the Arab region is witnessing hotbeds of tensions, instability and lack of security, stressing that Israel's more than seven-decade practices against Palestine are the major cause of wars and violence in the region and the spread of terrorism, which the international community remains unable to deter or criminalize.
In this context, he cited recent calls by an Israeli occupation government minister for the Palestinian village of Huwara to be wiped out, in a clear statement of incitement to violence.
He called on the assembled and parliamentary organizations to work to stop the blatant attacks on the Palestinian people and to call for reform of the United Nation's concerned specialized agencies.
