November 12 through November 17, 2014
On the occasion of the International Day for Tolerance, the UNESCO Office in Kathmandu, in close cooperation with the National Muslim Commission and the Nepal Chapter – South Asia Coordinating Council of the International Association for Religious Freedom, hosted the educational exhibition “Tolerance, Understanding, Coexistence. Oman’s Message of Islam.” The exhibition was launched on November 12,2014 at 4.30 pm at the Patan Museum in Lalitpur.
Speakers at the opening ceremony were Mr. Christian Manhart, UNESCO Representative to Nepal; Mr. Purna Chandra Bhattarai, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development; Mr. Sushil Kumar Pandey, Deputy Secretary General, Nepal national Commission for UNESCO; Mr. Satya Mohan Joshi, Eminent Cultural Expert and Chief Guest of the Event and Mr. Mohammad Nirdosh Ali, Chairperson, National Muslim Commission.
In his speech Mr. Christian Manhart, UNESCO Representative to Nepal, emphasized: "The exhibition aims at promoting interfaith dialogue, mutual understanding and peaceful co-existence. It promotes dialogue as a tool for reconciliation of cultural, social and ethnic differences by making aware of similarities instead of marking and looking into distinction and differences."
Mr. Mohammad Nirdosh Ali, Chairperson, National Muslim Commission said: "The exhibition is an initiative to spread the message of Oman; an Omani initiative, sharing the development process of Oman, including the situation of women in Oman, is commendable. This exhibition conveys the message of peace. The exhibition is the medium to give information on Islam, what Islam is doing for peace and development, and how other countries can learn from Islam. It is very interesting to learn about the culture, civilization and overall development process of Oman. As Oman is organizing the exhibition in various parts of the world, it has helped to spread the message of peace and development around the world."
