South Africa works for world peace through Interfaith Harmony

As part of World Interfaith Harmony Week, a Heavenly Culture World Peace Restoration of Light (HWPL) Scripture Dialogue took place on February 4 in Durban, South Africa; hosted at the organisation’s World Alliance of Religions’ Peace (WARP) office.
Led by Chairman Man Hee Lee, the HWPL Scripture Dialogue is an international peace symposium for leaders of various religious persuasions to come together to seek answers to certain questions within their scriptures and compare answers. WARP Office is one of the biggest projects of HWPL, which is actualizing its motto ― ‘cessation of war and creation of peace’.
Participants in the Dialogue as religious leaders were Smita Krsna Das, Senior Lecturer at the education wing of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISCKON); Shaik Nishaat Siddiqi, representing Ansari Tariqa; Mr Leon Greenberg, National Interfaith Coordinator and Priest of the Sri Sathya Sai Organisation of South Africa; Mr Pravesh Hurdeen, National Chairperson of the World Hindu Foundation; Rabbi Gilad Friedman and Rabbi Hillel from the Durban Jewish Community; and Pastor Deon Groupe of the 12 Apostolic Church in Christ. Young people from several youth groups, such as Avidan Ansari Youth Group, South African Hindu Maha Sabha, Sathya Sai Baba and Netzer Durban Jewish Community also participated.
Each religious leader delivered a speech under the title “How is my scripture being used as instrument of peace?” providing an opportunity for them to deepen their understanding of other scriptures. Previously, leaders of different faiths conducted a comparison of each scripture under titles such as: “Does my scripture have a clear history and genealogy?”, “Is my scripture from Heaven?”, and “Does my scripture have prophecy and fulfillment?”
Having participated in the monthly dialogue on several occasions, Mr. Pravesh Hurdeen, the National Chairperson of the World Hindu Foundation said, “Just having people speaking about their scripture and you being present – you are leaning first hand from a fellow human being, hearing them speak from the heart you do feel the positivity.
“The mere fact that people are willing to share what they believe in and what they would like you to hear from them; I think that is the most positive things we can create in a forum like this.”
Shaik Nishaat Siddiqi of Ansari Tariqi, who attended the dialogue for the first time, said: “As much as the society creates an image of the differences in all religions, I stand firmly to say that all religions share a lot of commonality.”
At present, HWPL is actualizing world peace through its WARP Offices all over the world. So far, 115 HWPL WARP Offices have been established in 61 countries, and more and more religious leaders have joined the peace campaign. During the World Interfaith Harmony Week, HWPL WARP Offices in the US, India, and Jordan also hosted a Scripture Dialogue.
Mr. Man Hee Lee, who leads HWPL, addressed the assembly, saying: “Inciting conflict and doing whatever one pleases is not what is from heaven. The religious leaders in the various nations that are participating in the peace work of HWPL are becoming one by comparing scriptures without religious barriers in the World Alliance of Religions’ Peace Offices.”
Besides its WARP Offices, HWPL has been working together with people from every social strata to effectively and efficiently make world peace a reality. For example, HWPL is in cooperation with International Law experts to enact the implementation of the Convention on the Renunciation and Cessation of War and International Armed Conflicts; educators to designate HWPL Peace Academy for initiating and incorporating peace education into school curricula for students; and politicians to establish HWPL peace monuments and designate an HWPL Day.