The Chaldean Archbishop Habib Jajou joined thirty religious leaders during two days in Amman, Jordan between 11 and 12 November 2015 on behalf of his beatitude Mar Louis Sako the Chaldean Patriarch.
The leaders worked ‘to develop a regional strategy to prevent and counter “hate speech” and incitement, in particular incitement to hatred and violence. They committed to work individually and collectively to take the strategy forward.’
The meeting was organized by the United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect, Columbia Global Centers | Middle East (Amman) and Columbia Global Freedom of Expression.
Below the leaders’ proposals as were published in the Columbia University Website:
• Establish a network of religious leaders from different religions and faiths to advise on and act to prevent and counter incidents of incitement in the region
• Increase the awareness of State authorities of the challenges and the measures that could be taken
• Invest in education, in general, and education of religious leaders, in particular
• Train religious leaders and inter-faith actors on the effective use of social media to reach a wider audience and multiply the impact of their messages
• Use intra and inter-faith dialogue to respond to acts of incitement
• Recruit and train youth ambassadors who can support and multiply initiatives through the social media
• Express solidarity with the victims of incitement to violence.
“The readiness of all religious leaders gathered here in Amman – who come from different countries and have different faiths and beliefs – to work together to deal with this challenge is truly impressive. I commend their commitment and their willingness to act, and look forward to seeing the results of this meeting,” noted Adama Dieng, United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide. “States are responsible for the protection of their populations, but everyone has a role to play. Given their spiritual leadership and influence, religious leaders have a special responsibility and their engagement is essential to prevent and counter incitement to violence that could lead to atrocity crimes”
“Religious leaders have clearly committed to play a fundamental role in responding, countering and preventing incitement to hatred that may lead to violence or discrimination. They have done so in recognition of the universal necessity to defend and protect believers of all faith, and non-believers; freedom of religion and equal citizenship. The discussions during these two days have highlighted the courage of those who take a stand to counter incitement to hatred, sometimes at great risks to their own lives or wellbeing. The outcome demonstrates well the importance of defending freedom of expression and increasing civic space to amplify the voices and impact of those who are at the front line in countering incitement to hatred” concluded Dr. Agnes Callamard, Director of Columbia Global Freedom of Expression.
