UNITED NATION: Pakistan called for the UN Security Council action to end the religiously and ethnically motivated violence sweeping the Middle East by promoting a global consensus for resolving the challenges confronting Iraq, Syria, Yemen and most importantly Palestine. Historical and recent experience has demonstrated that the challenges posed by the current chaos in the Middle East will not be overcome by foreign intervention Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN told the 15-member Council during a high level debate on victims of attacks and abuses on ethnic or religious grounds in the region chaired by French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius. The sovereignty and the territorial integrity of countries will have to be fully respected she emphatically stated. Ultimately durable peace can be restored through national reconciliation in each affected state encouraged and promoted with regional and global support. The current chaos in the Middle East contrasts sharply with its history and ethos Ambassador Lodhi said. The Middle East, she said is a cradle of major religions and civilisations replete with examples of what true Islam preaches love brotherhood tolerance and humanity. As such the Pakistan envoy said the recent escalation of violence and terrorism in the Middle East was an affront to humanity and all civilized norms. Deeply offensive and unacceptable were attempts by some vested interests to blame Islam as the source of the current chaos. It was clear that disorder and the collapse of State authority across North Africa and the Middle East had turned the Arab Spring into a brutal winter Ambassador Lodhi said. The partial or complete breakdown of State authority in Iraq and Syria had allowed the rise of violent groups such as Daesh inured by extremist ideologies and radical agendas she said. The quest for power by cynical and brutal leaders wrapped in religious cloaks is not surprising in the circumstances.
