Honorable Madeleine Lawson,
Distinguished award recipients,
Vice Chairs and Committee members,
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good Morning,
I congratulate the Institute for the Advancement of Multicultural and Minority Medicine (IAMMM) for convening the 31st International Salute to the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I am grateful for being asked to serve as its Honorary Chair.
I thank Ms. Lawson for her initiative to revive this great event, after the pandemic, to celebrate the life and work of Dr. King. You have worked hard to bring us together for this magnificent event. By associating the diplomatic corps with the Salute, you reach out to all nations and peoples of the world.
1 thank you all for being here today.
My heartiest congratulations to the recipients of the coveted awards.
Dr. Martin Luther King has profoundly influenced the lives of the people of the United States, its politics and society.
He mobilized Americans for a just cause that was anchored in American values and constitution and a higher calling for an egalitarian civilization.
At the same time, the revolution he led has inspired leaders and citizens across the globe. He is a man for all nations. His campaign for racial equality and economic justice have been espoused as international norms. They are now part of our collective consciousness.
In his lifetime he fought against injustice, against codified and systemic racial discrimination and segregation, against evil ingrained in societies, against hubris, against a mindset that would not accept change. He also taught that change requires struggle because freedoms are not handed on a platter.
As Dr. King said at the Washington National Cathedral in 1968, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” His message: love conquers all; love is the ultimate deliverer of mankind.
Dr. King’s legacy lives on – a legacy of opposing discrimination, promoting social justice and serving others. Let’s keep his dream alive.
His dream lives on and the change he ushered in has brought about many radical changes in our lives. But some of the demons he fought still survive and thrive. It is therefore a constant vigil for all of us. It is our responsibility as international community to be custodians and propagators of Dr. King’s ideals, his message which requires constant nurturing.
Dr. King speaks to us through his moving speeches. His words have inspired world leaders, lawmakers and human rights activists and defenders. They have also influenced legislation at the United Nations expanding the body of international law that promotes and protects universal rights of all.
The drafting and adoption of the 1969 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination were directly affected by Dr. King’s strong advocacy for racial equality. His struggle spurred anti-apartheid movement in South Africa and helped hasten the demise of colonialism.
His monument next to the National Mall elevates the stature of Washington and the United States in the comity of nations. Beyond ritualistic commemorations, Dr. King lives in the hearts and minds of the people of America and around the world.
Dr. King’s lasting legacy can be summed up in three words: freedom, equality, and justice, for all.
He was a courageous leader who fought repression and depravity to uphold respect for diversity and human dignity. Many impressive strides have been made at the national and global levels in this area and yet protection of civil rights remains a continuous challenge. His legacy provides a template for combating, anywhere in the world, inequality and discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, gender, ethnicity and nationality.
In a world buffeted by hatred and strife, Dr. King’s thought is a beacon of light for amity and unity.
Today, our goals include eradication of poverty and climate justice worldwide so that no one is left behind, which is a clarion call of the UN Sustainable Development Agenda. On this day, let’s not forget the poor populations that seek attention and help. Let’s not forget the people being consumed by the fury of unjust wars and illegal occupation.
There is no room for complacency. The flame of freedom and justice must keep burning now and for the future generations. Together, we have to go a long way.
Like other nations, Pakistan has also been inspired by Dr. King. Personally, for me and other diplomats he has been a lodestar for fulfilling our shared obligations to promote civil liberties and fundamental freedoms.
I conclude by the powerful call of Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H) made fifteen centuries ago. He said: a white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over white – except by piety and good deeds. This is so compellingly echoed in Dr. King’s declaration in 1963 that all people should be judged not “by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
I thank you all.
Washington: January 15, 2023
