FNs særlige rapportør om frihedsrettigheder og religionsfrihed roser det libanesiske folks evne til fredelig sameksistens midt i en vanskelig tid og med titusinder af flygtninge fra den ødelæggende borgerkrig i nabolandet Syrien. Men også farer i horisonten for det lille land ved Middelhavet.
GENEVA, 2 April 2015 (UN News Service): Amid escalating tensions throughout the Middle East, the country of Lebanon, known for its rich cultural diversity, can be a “ray of hope” for tolerance in a region beset by religious fanaticism, a United Nations human rights expert has said.
“Diversity as well as freedom of religion or belief must be preserved and further developed in order to build resilience (modstandskraft) against the spiralling religious extremism in the Middle East region,” stated Heiner Bielefeldt, Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Thursday following an eleven-day visit to the country.
“In these challenging times, Lebanon can be the ray of hope in the region and beyond for as long as it preserves and promotes its legacy of religious diversity.”
The Special Rapporteur noted that the Lebanese people had learned the importance of coexisting under precarious conditions in a geopolitical neighbourhood otherwise known for its sectarian frictions.
Interreligious dialogues, cooperation, and Lebanese citizenship all were enabling factors in preserving the peaceful amalgam (samleven /sameksistens) of Lebanese society, he added.
Politisk tomrum med ledig præsidentpost
At the same time, continued Mr. Bielefeldt, overcoming Lebanon’s political confessionalism (mange stærke politiske retninger) remained an important milestone for the country on its journey to becoming a civil state based on rule of law.
Lebanon’s political framework, in fact, allows for a proportional division of power sharing among the country’s diverse make-up of ethnicities and religions.
Despite this, there has been a presidential vacuum in Lebanon after the term of Michel Sleiman came to an end on 25 May 2014. UN officials and the Security Council have repeatedly urged the Lebanese Parliament to elect a new leader without delay.
“Disentangling the tightly knit web of religious loyalties, political affiliations, social positions and societal opportunities may then enhance the prospects of common citizenship,” the Special Rapporteur stressed.
“Even though equal power sharing on one hand maintains stable relationships among religious denominations, it may on the other hand weaken the civil structure and reinforce political fragmentation.”
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Se mere om Mellemøstens lille spændende korsvejsland på
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