Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has called on all countries the world over to join hands in the fight against violence, extremism and terrorism.
Speaking at a ceremony to mark the occasion of Mab’ath - the anniversary of God’s appointment of Hazrat Mohammad (PBUH) as the Prophet of Muslims – in Tehran on Tuesday, the Iranian president described division, violence and extremism as the key challenges facing the Islamic world.
He said that the 1979 Islamic Revolution of Iran is the harbinger of unity and solidarity in the Islamic world and invites Muslims to set aside their rifts.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran extends a hand of brotherhood to all Muslim nations to establish unity, brotherhood and solidarity against unbelievers, and invites the world community to fight against violence, extremism and terrorism,” he said.
Last December, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly voted to approve Rouhani’s “World against Violence and Extremism” (WAVE) initiative, which calls on all nations across the globe to denounce violence and extremism. The Iranian president had made the proposal in his address to the UN Disarmament Conference in New York in September 2013.
Under the UN resolution adopted in accordance with the WAVE proposal, the General Assembly would urge member states to take “appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace and to achieve international cooperation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character.”
The resolution also encourages “respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction of any kind such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinions, national or social origin, property, birth, or other status.”