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Istanbul hosts UN-sponsored 2nd Alliance of Civilizations Forum

06 April 2009 12:49 (UTC +04:00)

Istanbul. Mayis Alizadeh â€“APA. The UN-sponsored 2nd Alliance of Civilizations Forum began in Ciragan Palace, Istanbul on Monday. Co-chairman of Alliance of Civilizations initiative, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at his welcoming speech that today the world needed in Movlana Jalaladdin Rumiâ€™s ideas of tolerance. Other co-chairman of the project, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero focused on the importance of joint activity. â€œWe can create new and different 21st century by joint activity and joint steps. It can become the century of peace, co-existence and toleranceâ€. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said that the Alliance of Civilizations project could prevent the fire before the sparks appeared.
Incoming NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen also addressed the meeting. He said he respected all religions and would give an importance to the strengthening of relations between NATO and Islamic world. He said there was a need in the intercultural dialogue. â€œIt needs in sincere communication to establish positive dialogue. Every kind of censorship is the enemy of dialogue and mutual understanding. The freedom of speech is main condition for open and concrete dialogue. We have to protect the freedom of speech and to prevent the division of society and hateâ€. Rasmussen reminded about the scandal related to the publishing of Prophet Mohammadâ€™s cartoons in Denmark. â€œI had open position in that time. I am against the accusation of the people for their religious and ethnic origin. I am respecting the religions and religious symbols, religious senses of the peopleâ€.