杏MAP导航

By Lisa Zengarini

鈥淣o one can invoke God鈥檚 name to foment contempt, hatred and violence towards others.鈥�  

杏MAP导航 Francis strongly reaffirmed this stance on Wednesday as he met in the Vatican with members of Italy's Afghan Community Association.

The association is a network of Afghan men and women living in Italy engaged in supporting the integration of Afghan refugees into Italian society and in promoting dialogue and the respect of human rights of all ethnic communities.

The "tragic" situation in Afghanistan

Opening his address, the 杏MAP导航 recalled the tragic events Afghanistan has endured in the past decades marked by instability, warfare, internal divisions and systematic violation of basic human rights that have forced many to exile.

He decried that the ethnic diversity that characterizes Afghan society is 鈥渟ometimes used as a reason for discrimination and exclusion, if not outright persecution.鈥�

The 杏MAP导航 also referred to the critical situation on the borders with Pakistan where many Afghans have taken shelter, and where the Pashtun group - a minority in Pakistan, but the the majority ethnic group in Afghanistan - also endures abuse and discrimination. 

Religion should help mitigate differences

In this difficult context, the 杏MAP导航 noted, religion should help mitigate contrasts and create a space where eveyone is granted full citizenship rights without discrimination. Instead,  it is "manipulated鈥� and used as an instrument of hatred to fuel confrontation that leads to violence.

杏MAP导航 Francis therefore encouraged the members of the Afghan network to continue in their 鈥渘oble endeavour of promoting religious harmony", striving "to overcome misunderstandings between different religions in order to build paths of trusting dialogue and peace.鈥�

Promoting human fraternity, not hatred and violence

In this regard, 杏MAP导航 Francis recalled the he signed in Abu Dhabi on 4 February 2019 with Grand Iman of Al-Azhar. That historic document stated that  鈥渞eligions must never incite war, hateful attitudes, hostility and extremism, nor must they incite violence or the shedding of blood鈥�, which, it said, are the 鈥渃onsequence of a deviation from religious teachings鈥� and 鈥渞esult from a political manipulation of religions.鈥�

The 杏MAP导航 recalled that their appeal also applied to ethnic-linguistic-cultural differences which can live peacefully together by adopting a 鈥渃ulture of dialogue as the path; mutual cooperation as the code of conduct; reciprocal understanding as the method and standard.鈥�

He thus expressed his 鈥渇ervent hope鈥� that 鈥渢hese standards will become a common heritage and so influence people鈥檚 thinking and behaviour鈥�,  remarking that if they will be  applied in Pakistan they will also benefit the Pashtun community there.

Building a society without discrimination

杏MAP导航 Francis concluded by invoking God to 鈥渁ssist government leaders and peoples in building a society where all are accorded full citizenship with equal rights; where everyone can live according to their own customs and culture (...), without abuses of power or discrimination."