يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَـٰكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍۢ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلْنَـٰكُمْ شُعُوبًۭا وَقَبَآئِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ أَتْقَىٰكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌۭ

Yaaa ayyuhan naasu innaa khalaqnaakum min zakarinw wa unsaa wa ja’alnaakum shu’oobanw wa qabaaa’ila lita’aarafoo inna akramakum ‘indal laahi atqaakum innal laaha ‘Aleemun khabeer

“O people! Verily We have created you from a male and a female, and made you nations and tribes, so that you may recognise each other. Verily the most honoured of you with Allah is the one who is the most righteous (atqakum). Verily Allah is knower, aware.”

Surah Al-Hujurat (49:13)

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“In sum, what we must seek and share is what I have called ‘a cosmopolitan ethic,’ a readiness to accept the complexity of human society. It is an ethic which balances rights and duties. It is an ethic for all people. In that light, the amazing diversity of Creation itself can be seen as a great gift to us – not a cause for anxiety but a source for delight… In this spirit of humility and hospitality the stranger will be welcomed and respected, rather than subdued and ignored.” His Highness the Aga Khan at the LaFontaine Baldwin Lecture in Toronto in 2010.

“Pluralism implies a readiness to listen to many voices – whether we agree with them or not – and a readiness to embrace a rich diversity of cultures.” His Highness the Aga Khan, May 22, 2005, IPI World Congress in Nairobi, Kenya.

“Diversity is not a reason to put up walls, but rather to open windows. It is not a burden but a blessing.” His Highness the Aga Khan, September 21, 2016, in Toronto, Canada – Toronto’s Koerner Hall.