Monday 23 / September / 2024
Paris: Delegated by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, Dr. Mohammed Said Al Ma’amari, Minister of Endowments and Religious Affairs, headed the Sultanate of Oman’s delegation to the “International Meeting for Peace” held in Paris under the theme “Imagine Peace”. The conference will conclude tomorrow, 24 September 2024.
During the meeting, Dr. Mohammed conveyed the greetings of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to the conferees, along with His Majesty the Sultan’s sincere wishes of success.
Dr. Mohammed said that the Sultanate of Oman accorded attention to peace, adding that Oman’s Basic Law of the State stipulates that “peace is the goal of the state”. Oman, he affirmed, has always been committed to a global vision that supports the realization of this goal.
“In the Sultanate of Oman, thanks to flexibility and wisdom inherited and deeply rooted in our history, we realized the great value of human ties and exchange of knowledge and experiences. We have worked to foster the spirit of friendship, understanding, respect and coexistence with all, based on our understanding that we are not alone in this world, that we are not detached from it and that the humanitarian goals and a common destiny require us to interact with others in a spirit of benevolence and peace,” Dr. Mohammed added.
The minister said that, through commitment to this humanitarian approach, His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik has affirmed that the Sultanate of Oman will remain a beacon of human relations and peace.
“In confirmation of these principles, we in the Sultanate of Oman, acting within the efforts of the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs, have launched a group of projects aimed at enhancing dialogue between religions and cultures and promoting the values of tolerance, understanding and coexistence,” said Dr. Mohammed.
The minister pointed out that this international peace meeting comes at a time when the world is experiencing deep repercussions, foreboding profound transformations and long-term effects. We are witnessing a period in history in which the clash between the forces pushing for discord and division against those calling for unity and cohesion has attained a critical turning point, said Dr. Mohammed, noting that this clash tells us that the consequences of our choices today will reverberate across present and future generations.
The minister observed that anyone who contemplates the state of the world today would see a clear contradiction in the concept of peace. “We (human beings) developed technologies that are expected to serve the people of this world, as well as global communications networks to bring people closer to each other and international institutions dedicated to building and sustaining peace. Yet, the world and its societies are facing new and renewed forms of challenges,” said Dr. Mohammed.
He explained that the challenges include cyber campaigns aimed at destabilizing countries and shaking confidence in their institutions through misleading news and information. Also, ideological and intellectual extremism that is not satisfied with theoretical disagreement but also calls for discord, violence and the exploitation of international treaties and covenants to interfere in the affairs of societies and their privacy, said the minister, noting these have effects that go beyond physical borders, posing challenge to the theoretical and practical concepts of stability, development and the culture of peace.
The minister said, “It is time peace takes centre stage and becomes a tangible reality; it is time that all parties realized that achieving this reality lies in our actions, words and the willingness to overcome divisions.” He called for a renewed commitment to this noble humanitarian objective.
At the conclusion of his speech, Dr. Mohammed hoped that this meeting would lead to writing a new chapter in history for this world, a history in which peace is not an exception, but rather a solid fundamental rule from which generations could draw meanings of brotherhood, solidarity and cooperation, a history that illuminates the road to a brighter, more secure and peaceful future.
