"But I faced an entirely different autumn in Washington this year. It so happened that on 11 September I was in Washington and, together with Americans, experienced the shock of the tragedy, which I took as a tragedy for the whole world and its civilizations. Terrorist attacks on civilians are attacks on peace, which is a moral foundation of our common life; they are attacks against the ethos of humanity. The acts of terror in New York and Washington have challenged and threatened peaceful coexistence among civilizations and the peaceful future of nations. And today we must respond to this threat by mustering the wisdom and goodwill of all nations. Cultural diversity must not be made an instrument of armed conflict. Victory over terrorism is the goal of all cultures and all civilizations, since terrorism will never be acceptable in any culture or in civilized behavior. On the other hand, we are facing a shared responsibility to prevent, now and in the future, the fight against terrorism from becoming a war against any culture, religion or nation, or a conflict of civilizations."