Researching more about tolerance, I came across the portal of UNESCO, which is resolving to take all positive measures necessary to promote tolerance in our societies, because tolerance is not only a cherished principle but also a necessity for peace and for the economic and social advancement of all peoples. UNESCO has declared the following:
Article 1 Meaning of Tolerance
1.1 Tolerance is respect, acceptance, and appreciation of the rich diversity of our world’s cultures, our forms of expression, and ways of being human. It is fostered by knowledge, openness, communication, and freedom of thought, conscience, and belief. Tolerance is harmony in difference. It is not only a moral duty; it is also a political and legal requirement. Tolerance, the virtue that makes peace possible, contributes to the replacement of the culture of war by a culture of peace.
1.2 Tolerance is not concession, condescension, or indulgence. Tolerance is, above all, an active attitude prompted by the recognition of the universal human rights and fundamental freedoms of others. In no circumstance can it be used to justify infringements of these fundamental values. Tolerance is to be exercised by individuals, groups, and states.
1.3 Tolerance is the responsibility that upholds human rights, pluralism (including cultural pluralism), democracy, and the rule of law. It involves the rejection of dogmatism and absolutism, and affirms the standards set out in international human rights instruments.
1.4 Consistent with respect for human rights, the practice of tolerance does not mean toleration of social injustice or the abandonment or weakening of one’s convictions. It means that one is free to adhere to one’s own convictions while accepting that others adhere to theirs. It means accepting the fact that human beings, naturally diverse in their appearance, situation, speech, behavior, and values, have the right to live in peace and to be as they are. It also means that one’s views are not to be imposed on others.
BAPS
The UAE government has taken action with respect to tolerance, showing that tolerance had been practiced in the country even before the declaration of the Year of Tolerance. Here, I would like to mention the land gifted by H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, for the first traditional Hindu stone temple in UAE, named BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (Temple), located near the Dubai–Abu Dhabi highway.
On February 10, 2018, BAPS (Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha) representatives met H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan and the Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi at the Presidential Palace, where a memorandum of understanding was signed by India and the UAE. The next day, the foundation stone laying ceremony for the mandir took place. The temple is expected to be built by 2020; it would include the following: visitors’ center, prayer halls, exhibitions, learning areas, a sports area for children, thematic gardens, food court, and book and gift shops.
A spokesman from the BAPS said to the news media, “The stones will be carved by temple artisans in India and assembled in the UAE. The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha is both honoured and humbled to have been invited and entrusted to design, construct and manage the Temple by the rulers of the UAE and the Government of India.”
He added, “It will facilitate the traditional practice of the Hindu faith and serve the over 3.3 million Indians residing in and the millions of international tourists annually visiting the UAE through interfaith dialogue, pluralism and universal human values. It will also nurture the children of today and future generations towards a brighter future.”
The UAE government, as part of its Year of Tolerance program, allocated 13 more acres of land to BAPS Mandir in January 2019.
Article 2 State Level
2.1 Tolerance at the state level requires just and impartial legislation, law enforcement, and judicial and administrative processes. It also requires that economic and social opportunities be made available to each person without any discrimination. Exclusion and marginalization can lead to frustration, hostility, and fanaticism.
2.2 To achieve a more tolerant society, states should ratify existing international human rights conventions, and where necessary, draft new legislation to ensure equality of treatment and of opportunity for all groups and individuals in society.
2.3 It is essential for international harmony that individuals, communities, and nations accept and respect the multicultural character of the human family. Without tolerance, there can be no peace, and without peace, there can be no development or democracy.
2.4 Intolerance may take the form of marginalization of vulnerable groups and their exclusion from social and political participation, as well as violence and discrimination against them. As confirmed in the Declaration on Race and Racial Prejudice, “All individuals and groups have the right to be different” (Article 1.2).
Article 3 Social Dimensions
3.1 In the modern world, tolerance is more essential than ever before. It is an age marked by the globalization of the economy and by rapidly increasing mobility, communication, integration and interdependence, large-scale migrations and displacement of populations, urbanization, and changing social patterns. As every part of the world is characterized by diversity, escalating intolerance and strife potentially menaces every region. It is not confined to any country but is a global threat.
3.2 Tolerance is necessary between individuals at the family and community levels. Tolerance promotion and the shaping of attitudes of openness, mutual listening, and solidarity should take place in schools and universities and through non-formal education, at home and in the workplace. The communication media are in a position to play a constructive role in facilitating free and open dialogue and discussion, disseminating the values of tolerance, and highlighting the dangers of indifference toward the rise of intolerant groups and ideologies.
3.3 As affirmed by the UNESCO Declaration on Race and Racial Prejudice, measures must be taken to ensure equality in dignity and rights for individuals and groups wherever necessary. In this respect, particular attention should be paid to vulnerable groups that are socially or economically disadvantaged so as to afford them the protection of the laws and social measures in force, in particular with regard to housing, employment, and health; to respect the authenticity of their culture and values; and to facilitate their social and occupational advancement and integration, especially through education.
3.4 Appropriate scientific studies and networking should be undertaken to coordinate the international community’s response to this global challenge, including analysis by the social sciences of root causes and effective countermeasures, as well as research and monitoring in support of policy-making and standard-setting action by member states.
Mohammed Salah
Mohammed Salah is at the top level of the English football league system. The Premier League has always given their fans a lot to live it up and boast about their favorite player’s records and goals. This year, the Premier League 2018, has made the world talk about Mohammed Salah, an Egyptian professional footballer who plays as a forward for the English club Liverpool and the Egyptian national team. The faith of Mohammed Salah and his mannerisms on the pitch, such as cupping hands in silent pre-kick-off prayer or prostrating after hitting the back of the net, became the headlines of different international media houses. His heart-winning attitude and gestures were also featured in BBC. Salah, who has 31 Premier League goals for Liverpool in the 2018 season, along with his religion, has become the inspiration for some Liverpool fans to rewrite the lyrics to the 1996 hit Good Enough by Dodgy. The words of the chorus are adjusted to celebrate the feats of the Egyptian striker: “If he’s good enough for you, he’s good enough for me. If he scores another few, then I’ll be Muslim, too. If he’s good enough for you, he’s good enough for me. He’s sitting in the mosque, that’s where I wanna be.”
A video posted on Twitter with a group of Reds fans performing this song went viral, and tens of thousands of hits later, even non-Liverpool fans have put allegiances aside in praise of the video and its lyrics.
The National also wrote an article saying that the Egyptian superstar’s popularity has been praised by Muslim leaders for helping kick racism out of sport. On Sunday, April 22, 2018, the “Egyptian king” added the esteemed Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year award, conferred by his fellow players, to a host of accolades that includes the 2017 African Footballer of the Year. The award is well-deserved after an astonishing season. In a BBC poll of December 2018, 76% of voters chose Salah as their player of the year.
However, success on the field is only half the story for Salah, who has unwittingly sparked a conversation within a sport that is no stranger to prejudice. In the 1970s and 1980s, football stadiums reverberated with racist chants aimed at black and minority players. In recent years, Islamophobia has proliferated in the UK, stoked by right-wing politicians, media commentators, and online trolls. It comes against a backdrop of rising hatred in football, with 282 incidences of abuse recorded in 2017 by football’s Kick It Out campaign,
