UIPM urges world leaders to mitigate sufferings of minorities

Islamabad : Universal Interfaith Peace Mission, Chairman and Coordinator, United Religions Initiative, Multi Cooperation Circle, Islamabad, Dr Allama GR Chishti has appealed to Prince Ghazi bin Mohammad bin Talal, prime mover of ‘A Common Word Movement’, special envoy to King Abdullah II of Jordan, Bishop William Swing, Head of United Religions Initiative Global, UN Secretary General António Guterres , Jan Figel, International Envoy of European Union for Religious Freedom and Parliament of World Religions Head Dr. Robert P. Sellers to take note of the persecution of Baha’i community at the hands of Houthis in Yemen, says a press release.

Dr Chishti said that persecution of minorities on the basis of their faith harms the overall efforts of promotion of interfaith harmony around the world.

UIPM chairman said that indictment of 20 Baha’is by a court in Yemen could sabotage the efforts of global interfaith peace and harmony. “It is responsibility of the world leaders to mitigate the sufferings of the minorities in Yemen and other parts of the world so efforts being made for interfaith harmony at the global level do not go in vain due to such actions of persecution,” he added.

He said that Baha’is are a minority and they should not be persecuted by the majority community in Yemen. He said that charges on Baha’is are extremely alarming and mark a severe intensification of pressure at a time when the Baha’i community is already being threatened and the general humanitarian crisis in the country requires urgent attention. “We have every reason to be concerned about the safety of the Baha’i community in Yemen. We urge the international community to call upon the authorities in Sana'a to immediately drop these absurd, false, and baseless accusations against these innocent individuals, who have been maliciously charged simply because they have been practicing their faith,” said Dr Chishti.