UNITED NATIONS, Feb 28 (APP): UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday conveyed his “warmest wishes” to Muslims across the globe as they prepare to mark the holy month of Ramadan, highlighting the suffering of those in Gaza and the wider region, Sudan, the Sahel and beyond.
“To all those who will spend this sacred time amid displacement and violence, I wish to express a special message of support,” he said in a special message released at UN Headquarters in New York.
“I stand with all those who are suffering,” the UN chief said, adding, “From Gaza and the wider region, to Sudan, the Sahel and beyond.”
Meanwhile, the UN chief’s Spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, announced that Guterres will visit Bangladesh March 13-16 during which he will observe
a solidarity fast with Rohingya Muslim refugees from Myanmar, besides his engagements with the country’s leaders.
The Rohingya people have suffered decades of violence, discrimination and persecution in Myanmar. As a Muslim ethnic minority living in a predominantly Buddhist country, the Rohingya are not recognized as an official ethnic group and have been denied citizenship since 1982, making them the world’s largest stateless population, now numbering over one million.
Since the early 1990’s, the Rohingya have fled successive waves of violence in Myanmar — their largest and fastest exodus began in August 2017 when violence broke out in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, driving nearly one million people to seek refuge in Bangladesh—the majority of whom are women and children
In his message message, Guterres said, “I send my warmest wishes as Muslims around the world begin observing the Holy Month of Ramadan,” noting that “Ramadan embodies the values of compassion, empathy and generosity.”
The UN chief said Ramadan is “an opportunity to reconnect with family and community” and “a chance to remember those less fortunate.”
Recalling his annual tradition of visiting a Muslim-majority country during the holy month of Ramadan, he said: “These missions remind the world of the true face of Islam.”
“I always come away even more inspired by the remarkable sense of peace that fills this season,” Guterres said, wishing for all to “be uplifted by these values and embrace our common humanity to build a more just and peaceful world for all” during Ramadan.
APP/ift