German Scholar Urges UNSC To Adopt WAVE Act

Berlin, Jan 5, IRNA -- A German scholar called on the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution based on a proposal by Irans President Hassan Rouhani for a World Against Violence and Extremism (WAVE). Talking to IRNA, Bielefeld University professor Wolf Dieter Ahmet Aries said such a legally binding resolution passed in the Security Council could be important. The UN General Assembly voted by consensus last month to approve the WAVE Act calling on all nations around the world to denounce violence and extremism. Under the resolution, the General Assembly would urge all member states to unite against violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, as well as sectarian violence. Aries acknowledged however that chances for approving such a resolution in the Security Council were slim, given the diverging interests of UN Security Council members in the Near and Middle East. The academic hailed Rouhani for proposing the WAVE Act, saying this was an excellent approach. Iran's new president is embarking on future-oriented initiatives and I view this as something extremely positive, he added. Aries said Iran should be the vanguard in actually implementing the resolution by pursuing a comprehensive and long-term diplomatic strategy. Tehran should engage in a diplomatic dialogue with governments around the globe on the resolution and support any kind of initiative which backs up WAVE, the Islam expert added. Aries said although this was a tedious diplomatic process, Iran could play a lead role by promoting WAVE by hosting small and medium-sized conferences on ways to combat global extremism and violence. I think this is the only chance for having success in the long-term, he said. Aries noted the basis for WAVE should be Iran's Dialog Among Civilizations initiative, dating back to the late 1990s. He lambasted the West for its lackluster reaction on the landmark proposal by then-Iranian president Seyyed Mohammad Khatami. Aries stressed such dialogues are the only chance to talk and learn from one another. As a scientist, I have always supported such a dialogue which should be based on a level playing field and mutual respect. No issue has to be excluded in such a dialog, he reiterated. Aries said the West had yet to learn to talk with other countries on an equal footing and respect the right of others to think differently./end