2010-03-03 16:10:15

Religious attacks by the media must be rejected, say officials


(March 03,2010) Anti-religious commentary distributed by media outlets can create tensions and incite violence and therefore must be rejected, said Vatican and Muslim representatives. Attacking religion in the mass media especially via satellite television channels must be opposed considering the dangerous effect that these broadcasts can have on social cohesion and on peace between religious communities.The remarks were made in a statement issued after the annual meeting of officials from the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and from al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt. The Vatican released a copy of the statement to journalists on Tuesday.(March 2)
The Feb. 23-24 meeting in Cairo focused on the role religions can play in either causing or preventing religious violence. The al-Azhar meeting was chaired by Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the pontifical council, and by Sheik Mohammed Abd al-Aziz Wasil, president of al-Azhar's permanent committee for dialogue with the monotheistic religions. The meeting's final statement said greater attention must be paid to the fact that manipulating religion or religious beliefs for political or other interests can lead to violence. It called for ending discrimination on the basis of religious identity and said that if laws are to be just, they should guarantee the fundamental equality of all people regardless of religious affiliation.
Members of the dialogue group also called on preachers, teachers and the writers of school textbooks, to be respectful of other religions and not make statements or references to historical events that directly or indirectly can arouse a violent attitude among followers of the different religions.
 







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