“The world needs UNESCO more than ever in efforts to eradicate illiteracy and poverty. And also to stand up to extremism, intolerance and savage destruction of cultural and historical heritage.

We in Europe are proud of our historic heritage including Ancient Greek and Roman philosophy. We should remember and occasionally remind ourselves that during the Middle Ages, Greek ideas were largely forgotten in Western Europe. They re-entered the West through translations from Arabic to Latin thanks to Islamic philosophers such as Al-Kindi ( Alkindus ), Al-Farabi( Alpharabius ), Ibn Sina ( Avicenna ) and Ibn Rushd ( Averroes ). The reintroduction of these philosophies, accompanied by the new Arabic commentaries, had a great influence on Medieval philosophers such as Thomas Aquinas. That has been a real contribution of Islam to Europe. We need more Islamic philosophers and scientists and less hate preachers.

Such, indeed, words were uttered by Miroslav Lajčák, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic, at UNESCO’s Leaders’ Forum in Paris on Tuesday.
http://sk16.eu/#lajcakpraises