The 5th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions opened in Astana today. In addition to religious leaders and politicians, Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev and King of Jordan Abdullah II are participating in the congress.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon stressed that the world must unite around religious leaders in this turbulent times. "In times of turmoil, religious leaders can provide a values-based glue to hold communities together and provide common ground for peace-making and problem solving," Gazeta.ru cited him as saying.According to him, we must support democracy and human rights. "The larger the spaces for democracy and fundamental freedoms, the smaller the chances for extremism and violence," Ban Ki-moon said.In addition, he expressed the opinion that religious leaders should make every effort to combat extremism. "Religious leaders have an obligation to speak out when so-called adherents of their faith commit crimes in God's name. All crimes committed in the name of religion are crimes against religion," RIA Novosti cited him as saying.The vice president of the Congress of Jewish Religious Fellowships and Organizations of Russia, Zinovy Kogan, said in an interview with the correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza that the leaders of world religions must be fundamentally prepared to contribute to the resolution of the conflicts and to promote peace on Earth."There are so many violent conflicts in the world today. Especially the events in Ukraine demonstrate that religious leaders are not prepared for the pursuit of peacemaking. Alas, a religion often serves today as a cover for division and separation, not only in Ukraine but also in the Middle East and in other parts of our tiny world. Spiritual leaders are also the servants of the people, just like secular rulers, and they must remember that heaven sent them to mediate between people and God, that they made a promise to serve their peoples and their religions. Therefore, if they are not prepared for peacekeeping operations, it is necessary to encourage them to do it," the rabbi said.Zinovy Kogan reminded that no religion calls for crimes to be committed for the sake of itself.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon stressed that the world must unite around religious leaders in this turbulent times. "In times of turmoil, religious leaders can provide a values-based glue to hold communities together and provide common ground for peace-making and problem solving," Gazeta.ru cited him as saying.
According to him, we must support democracy and human rights. "The larger the spaces for democracy and fundamental freedoms, the smaller the chances for extremism and violence," Ban Ki-moon said.
In addition, he expressed the opinion that religious leaders should make every effort to combat extremism. "Religious leaders have an obligation to speak out when so-called adherents of their faith commit crimes in God's name. All crimes committed in the name of religion are crimes against religion," RIA Novosti cited him as saying.
The vice president of the Congress of Jewish Religious Fellowships and Organizations of Russia, Zinovy Kogan, said in an interview with the correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza that the leaders of world religions must be fundamentally prepared to contribute to the resolution of the conflicts and to promote peace on Earth.
"There are so many violent conflicts in the world today. Especially the events in Ukraine demonstrate that religious leaders are not prepared for the pursuit of peacemaking. Alas, a religion often serves today as a cover for division and separation, not only in Ukraine but also in the Middle East and in other parts of our tiny world. Spiritual leaders are also the servants of the people, just like secular rulers, and they must remember that heaven sent them to mediate between people and God, that they made a promise to serve their peoples and their religions. Therefore, if they are not prepared for peacekeeping operations, it is necessary to encourage them to do it," the rabbi said.
Zinovy Kogan reminded that no religion calls for crimes to be committed for the sake of itself.
