Statement condemning the terrorist attacks in Mumbai

The Heads of Networks of the Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation for the Dialogue between Cultures has condemned the terrorist attacks in Mumbai in sharpest terms during the seventh Heads of Network meeting, held in Nice in France from the 28th to 30th December 2008. The Anna Lindh Foundation sends its condolences to the families of the victims and to the families of the Indian police killed.

The Anna Lindh Foundation expresses its great concern with relation to growing intolerance, extremism and the risk of terrorism in many countries. The Foundation embraces cultural diversity as one of the most valuable assets of global civil society.

In this tragic context and mourning period, the Anna Lindh Foundation as a network of networks with more than two thousand non-governmental organisations across the forty-three EuroMed countries, is calling for resisting the temptation of stigmatisation of Islam or the Arab culture.

The Foundation is committed to the goals of dialogue between cultures and condemns violent resolution, in particular conflict.

The Anna Lindh Foundation supports fields of action focused on promoting mutual understanding, and calls on all member and non-member countries to support actions and projects to enhance mutual understanding; respect for cultural diversity and cross cultural education.