Thu 16 March 2023:
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres praised Islam’s peace message and Muslim compassion, especially regarding the asylum-seekers, in his speech.
“We are just days away from the beginning of Ramadan. For well over a millennium, Islam’s message of peace, compassion and grace has inspired the people the world over,” he said.
Speaking on the root of the word “Islam“, Guterres said that the word comes from the same root as “Salam“, meaning peace.
“As UN commissioner for refugees, I saw the generosity of Muslim countries welcoming people forced to flee their homes, while so many others closed their borders,” he added.
Quoting Surah al-Tawbah of the Holy Qur’an, the ayah that says, “And if anyone seeks your protection, then grant him protection, so that he can hear the words of God, and then escort him where he can be secure,” Guterres said that he witnessed the modern manifestation of this command.
“This protection should be given to believers and non-believers alike, again, according to the Holy Qur’an,” he stressed.
“What a remarkable articulation of refugee protection, centuries before the 1951 Refugee Convention.”
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