Foreign Secretary’s message to Muslim News Awards
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London Correspondants Service The Foreign Secretary Jack Straw sent a video message to the annual Muslim News Awards
for Excellence presented last week. The FCO are sponsoring the new Ibn Khaldun Award for Excellence in promoting
understanding between global cultures and faiths, at the Muslim News Awards.
The award reflects the FCO commitment to help build understanding and
tolerance, and to breaking down the negative stereotypes of other faiths and
traditions.
The Foreign Secretary said : " I am very pleased that the Foreign Office is one of the sponsors of this year's Muslim News Awards for Excellence. The awards give valuable
recognition to those who win them; and they help highlight the vitality and
the achievement to be found within Muslim communities. Their winners can
serve as role models for Muslims and for us all. Let me congratulate Ahmed
Versi and his dedicated team of volunteers for their efforts in organising
the awards.
This award for me is also another reflection of our wish to build an
ever-closer relationship with British Muslims and with Muslims around the
globe. As many of you will be aware, we send every year a delegation to the
Holy Places to offer support, medical help and consular assistance to the
more than 20,000 British Muslims performing Hajj. We are the only western
government to provide this service. I am also proud of the work, which we
do with many Muslim organisations and communities around Britain to ensure
that the voices of British Muslims are heard at all levels. And I am
honoured to represent in Parliament the 25,000 Muslims who live in my
constituency of Blackburn.
It is more important than ever before that we in government build a close
relationship and dialogue with Muslim communities. At this point of time,
we must learn to emphasise both the richness of our shared history and the
outstanding contribution which Muslims make to all walks of life in Britain
today.
That message of celebrating and valuing our diversity would, I suggest, have
been one which the great Ibn Khaldun would have recognised. His writings,
inspired by the great Islamic civilisation in which he lived, and by the
vibrant mix of peoples and cultures which that civilisation embraced, have
much to teach us all even six centuries after his death.
So it is most appropriate that his name has been chosen for this News award.
The winner will be revealed shortly, but I am sure you will agree that the
recipient richly deserves this recognition.
Let me offer my warmest congratulations to all those who are winning awards
tonight. And let me wish you all an enjoyable and interesting evening,
Thank you."
. The Muslim News is an English speaking newspaper for the Muslim
community. This is the first year that the FCO has been a sponsor of the Muslim
News Awards. Previously, the Prime Minister and His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales presented these awards.
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