UN tackles pillars of intolerance By Kaveh L Afrasiabi

The importance of events such as the UN conference, and other similar efforts, like the recent interfaith summit in Istanbul that led to the creation of a new Global Interfaith Network devoted to combating religious intolerance, poverty, AIDS, etc are raising the prominent role that religious groups can play in global affairs.

Another important prerequisite, at least on the part of the world's Muslims, is to deepen their current peace-related efforts and to do a better job in disseminating Islam's message of peace, a message that has been much buried under piles of Western Islamophobia recently.

But, in conclusion, perhaps the real protean value of the Saudi initiative is to highlight the rich sources of a culture of peace in the essential teachings of Islam, including the holy Koran: "If they resort to peace, so shall you." Notes
1. For more on the Alliance of Civilizations, see Afrasiabi's interview with the former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami: UN Chronicle.
2. See Afrasiabi, Listening, Inclusiveness, Tolerance, Reciprocity: Dialogue Among Civilizations, UN Chronicle.