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Change religious hatred into cooperation: Interfaith group
Right to peace: Interfaith activist and former first lady Sinta Nuriyah Wahid (center) participates in a march attended by around 1,000 people to celebrate the International Day of Peace, in Central Jakarta
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Right to peace: Interfaith activist and former first lady Sinta Nuriyah Wahid (center) participates in a march attended by around 1,000 people to celebrate the International Day of Peace, in Central Jakarta. The UN General Assembly has declared the day as being devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples. (JP/Don) (center) participates in a march attended by around 1,000 people to celebrate the International Day of Peace, in Central Jakarta. The UN General Assembly has declared the day as being devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples. (JP/Don)
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span class="inline inline-center">Right to peace: Interfaith activist and former first lady Sinta Nuriyah Wahid (center) participates in a march attended by around 1,000 people to celebrate the International Day of Peace, in Central Jakarta. The UN General Assembly has declared the day as being devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples. (JP/Don)
Religions for Peace, an organization promoting interfaith peace based in New York, has called for harmonious cooperation between interreligious communities. Such cooperation, it said, was key to addressing negativity sparked by religious extremism around the world.
Religions for Peace secretary-general William F. Vendley said on Tuesday that interreligious cooperation could overcome the "vicious cycle" of hatred among religious groups. "This cooperation can transform a vicious cycle into a virtuous cycle to bring good things from all sides," Vendley said at a press conference.
The cycle, Vendley said, had made people lose trust in other religious groups, creating discrimination that hampered the world from addressing common threats, ranging from violent conflicts to refugee crises.
Vendley cited an example from the US, where political candidates have stated that they would not accept migrants, or that Christians from Syria were preferable to Muslim asylum seekers wishing to enter the country.
In order to end such negativity, religious communities around the world should communicate and work with each other on short-term and long-term efforts, Vendley added.
"UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon once told me, 'I cannot do my job, unless the religions of the world can cooperate for peace'," Vendley said.
In cooperation with Indonesia-based religious communities that promote peace, such as the Center for Dialogue and Cooperation among Civilizations (CDCC) and Muhammadiyah Disaster Management Center (MDMC), Religions for Peace will hold an international meeting to raise awareness of the cooperation.
Entitled "International Consultation on Multireligious Humanitarian Action", the meeting will involve governments, world religious figures, UN agencies and civil society groups to discuss an effective interfaith approach to address current problems.
The event is to be held ahead of the UN's World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2016, where world leaders will propose solutions to world challenges and set an agenda for future humanitarian action. (bbn)(+)
