UNESCO director general appeals to defeat intolerance, extremism

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Thursday 14 May 2015 - 12:55 Makkah mean time-25-7-1436 Irina Bokova (UNESCO/Image) Cairo (IINA) – UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova arrived Wednesday in Cairo on a two-day visit to Egypt, in an endeavor to step up international efforts in the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural objects and antiquities, as a means to halt terrorism funding. On the first day of her mission, Ms Bokava made several appeals to harness the power of culture and knowledge to defeat intolerance and extremism, especially among youth. “Egypt holds a special place in UNESCO’s history, because it has defined the gold standard in international cooperation for safeguarding the common heritage of humanity – this is precisely the spirit we need to instill today,” she said. Bokova first delivered an opening speech at the World Conference on “Culture under Threat: The Security, Economic and Cultural Impact of Antiquities Theft in the Middle East” organized by the Antiquities Coalition, the Middle East Institute, in cooperation with Egyptian ministries of Foreign Affairs and Antiquities, and under joint patronage of UNESCO. “The destruction of cultural heritage is being used as a tactic of war, to intimidate populations, to finance criminal activities, and to spread hatred. The fact that 10 ministers have gathered here today is a strong symbol of our joint commitment to respond and UNESCO is determined to live up to its responsibilities, because we believe the protection of heritage is far more than a cultural issue – it has become a security imperative,” Bokova said. At Al Azhar University, the UNESCO Director-General delivered a lecture on the fundamental role of intercultural dialogue and the truer knowledge of religion to foster tolerance and mutual understanding. She underlined the role of all leaders, including religious leaders, to mobilize youth in order to respond to the false narrative of those who seek to distort the message of religion. Bokova commended the role of Al Azhar University in condemning the destruction of cultural heritage, and training young people around the world about the true message of Islam. Citing the Grand Imam of Al Azhar Sheikh Al-Tayeb, the director general recalled that “Islamic civilization is a civilization of recognition and connection. Against the forces that divide humanity, we must foster precisely these ideas of recognition and connection, to tighten the bonds between all people and cultures.” AB/IINA