ALL ACROSS THE GLOBE we are witnessing an escalation in the level of religious and ethnic intolerance, which is a major source of social and economic destabilization in many countries.
On New Year’s Eve there was a suspected suicide attack on a Christian church in Egypt, in which at least 22 people were killed. It was a serious moment of truth, for the country stands between the crossroads of geopolitics in that region.
But more unfortunate than the incident are the clashes that were reported between two major communities of the area, hinting at the evolving sense of unrest and intolerance in a hitherto heterogeneous society.
Egypt has remained relatively unscathed from such upheavals, notwithstanding the fact that it is home to an assertive political opposition. It should therefore do everything necessary to nip this spreading cancer in the bud.
The most promising aspect, however, is the fact that both the government and the Islamist opposition movement the Muslim Brotherhood have both condemned the attack. They have also restrained from finger-pointing at each other, which could go a long way in deterring any terrorist manoeuvring in Egypt.
This episode of chaos and unrest ahead of forthcoming presidential elections would have come as a test case for the security apparatus, and there shouldn’t be any misgivings on that count.
Egypt for long has been in the eye of the storm, and unscrupulous elements might have found the New Year celebrations as an opportunity to strike, and that too by targeting the minority Christian community.
Egypt has an important role to play in the region. Its support for the Palestinian cause and its influence in the West and Israel makes it a driving force for peace and reconciliation in one of the most volatile regions of the world.
So much so that Pope Benedict XVI has since called for a peace summit of all religious leaders of the world to be held in Italy in October. The Catholic News Agency reported that the proposed meeting would coincide with the 25th anniversary of the first World Day Of Prayer For Peace.
The symbolism notwithstanding, very little is likely to be achieved, but the dialogue is to be encouraged. It is said that humanity is created by the one God, regardless of the name each faith reserves for the supreme deity.
All religions put forth serious arguments, rooted in differing visions of what they believe to be the one true path. They must all co-exist and ensure freedom of others is guaranteed and that justice and other tenets of religion and true worship assured.
As we have seen, no number of temples, mosques or cathedrals reduced to rubble will shake the foundation of one’s belief in his version of the Almighty. Tolerance in our racial, physiological, physical, geographical and religious diversity is definitely the answer.