Meeting on Rejecting Violent Extremism and Advancing Shared Well-being
Abu Dhabi – New York , December 18, 2014
The High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser addressed an emergency meeting on “Rejecting Violent Religious Extremism and Advancing Shared Well-being,” held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on 12-13 December, 2014. Click here for the High Representative’s full remarks in (English) and (Arabic).
Participants in the meeting co-organized by the Religions for Peace (RfP) Executive Committee and the Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies Abu Dhabi, rejected every form of violent religious extremism, noting that they were “false religious ideologies of hatred, not Peace”.
The meeting was co-moderated by, His Eminence Shaykh Abdullah bin Bayyah, President of the Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies, Dr. William Vendley, Secretary General of RfP and His Eminence Cardinal John Onaiyekan, Archbishop of Abuja, Nigeria.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the Abu Dhabi Statement and a relevant Action plan was adopted unanimously by all participants. The statement while categorically rejecting all forms of violent extremism, urged for the need to forge a multi-religious response to such extremism. It called on the United Nations, notably the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, Governments and other stakeholders to facilitate forming alliances to counter violent extremism.
Both documents will serve as a blueprint for on-the-ground-multi-religious action. Click here for the Abu Dhabi Statement in (English) and (Arabic).
His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates, who held a meeting with the participants, encouraged them to continue their work in the area of combating violent religious extremism and expressed his strong support for the collaboration between RfP and the Forum.