Endowments Minister Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa has called for an international law that criminalizes the defamation of religion. He also spoka about renewing the religious and cultural discourse, in order to confront terrorism on the one hand and consolidate the foundations of civilized dialogue on the other.
The statements came in an address, delivered on his behalf by the ministry’s under secretary, Mohamed Ezz Eddin Abdel Sattar, at a conference dedicated to religion, held in Kazakhstan.
Gomaa also warned against using religion for political or sectarian purposes to fuel endless conflicts, which turn the dialogue of civilizations into a clash of civilizations, stressing that Islam accepts other faiths, and that religions call for justice, tolerance and honesty in words and deeds.
He called for a clear and explicit international law, prohibiting the defamation of all religions.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
