Antoni­o Guterr­es offers solida­rity with the Muslim commun­ity during his visit to the Islami­c cultur­e center­NEW YORK: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday pledged action to help protect religious sites worldwide, during a visit to a New York Islamic center one week after the New Zealand mosque shootings that shocked the world. “Mosques and all places of prayer and contemplation should be safe havens, not sites of terror,” Guterres said. Moratinos heads the UN Alliance of Civilisations, a group led by Spain and Turkey that seeks to foster better understanding between cultures and societies. The group will reach out to governments, religious leaders and organizations to explore actions to prevent such attacks as the Christchurch shooting that left 50 dead. Guterres said the attack in New Zealand was “utterly appalling” but “perhaps not utterly surprising”, citing the rise of anti-Muslim hatred, anti-Semitism and bigotry.

Source: The Express Tribune March 22, 2019 19:18 UTC