Amoli to Read Ayatollah Khamenei's Message in UN Religious Summit
August 27, 2000 - 0:0
TEHRAN Ayatollah Javadi Amoli, prominent instructor at Qom Theological Seminary and member of the Experts Assembly, arrived in New York on Friday at the head of a delegation that is to attend the UN-sponsored summit titled "World Peace in the Third Millennium," IRNA reported from UN headquarters.
The Iranian delegation was welcomed at the John F. Kennedy Airport by Iran's permanent Ambassador to the UN, Hadi Nejad-Hosseinian and other Iranian officials connected with the world body.
At the summit, Ayatollah Amoli will take the podium to read a message from the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, to religious leaders of world countries.
Furthermore, he will meet with leaders of Muslim groups in the U.S. as well as a number of participants on the sidelines of the summit.
The summit which takes place on August 28-29 will be attended by over 1,200 religious leaders from 50 countries all over the world.
It has been called to discuss approaches to the settlement of crises and establishment of world peace.
Another report said that UN Secretary General Kofi Annan had planned the summit that was opposed by the United States. It will be the first summit of the world's major religious leaders to devise an advisory role for the united nations' conflict resolution while trying consciously not to be enmeshed in politics.
But even before the summit begins it has become tainted by politics, DPA dispatch said.
China barred the participation of Tibetan Buddhist leader the Dalai Lama, accusing the Nobel Peace laureate, who represents a major community of Buddhists, of promoting an independent Tibet.
Bawa Jain, the summit's secretary general, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA) that the Dalai Lama and Pope John Paul II are the two most significant leaders he would "dream" to have at the summit. The Pope obviously cannot travel because of his old age.
The Dalai Lama was invited, but he declined to avoid any conflict with China at the UN.
Jain said he had unsuccessfully demanded that Chinese authorities keep politics out of the summit. The Dalai Lama will send a senior delegation, which hopefully would be admitted to the UN.
The Vatican will be represented by Francis Cardinal Arinze, president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialog.
Every major religion or faith on earth will send a delegation and a total of 1,000 people are expected.
They will debate the role of religions in conflict resolution and form a council to advise the UN on preventing wars as well as heal their wounds.
"Religions can play a fundamental role in preventing conflicts," Jain said. "Being on the ground, they (religious leaders) know when the tensions are growing and if they have the support of local political leadership to work closely, I believe a lot of conflicts can be prevented." "The UN is a neutral platform," he said. "We want to work closely to support the UN all over the world at creating the advisory council everywhere in the world.
Jain, who has been involved in global interfaith activities for many years, said the summit will be steered by an international advisory panel composed of religious leaders, theologians, scholars from major universities and religious organizations.
The summit is expected to issue a declaration for world peace and plans for setting up the advisory council of religious and spiritual leaders.
"There has been a phenomenal response from religious leaders around the world," said Jain. "They see this as a unique opportunity to join efforts with the UN in a worldwide interfaith initiative." "Our goal is that religious leaders from different traditions will work together to help resolve global problems," he said.
Japanese representing Shinto and Buddhist sects will attend as well as Buddhist leaders from Asian countries, Russia and the United States will attend.
Two important delegations from Islam and Jewish faiths will attend with a total of 23 Jewish rabbis and 72 muftis and sheikhs.
The Islamic delegation will include the grand muftis of Syria, Bosnia, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Egypt, India, Russia, Iran, the United States and Central Asian countries among others.
Other envoys include the Reverend Konrad Raiser, secretary general of the world council of churches; Archbishop Njongonkulu Nungane of Cape Town; His Holiness Abune Paulos, Patriarch of Ethiopia; His Holiness Karekin II, Patriarch of the Armenian Church; and the Reverend Jesse Jackson, a Christian leader representing President Bill Clinton.
The Iranian delegation was welcomed at the John F. Kennedy Airport by Iran's permanent Ambassador to the UN, Hadi Nejad-Hosseinian and other Iranian officials connected with the world body.
At the summit, Ayatollah Amoli will take the podium to read a message from the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, to religious leaders of world countries.
Furthermore, he will meet with leaders of Muslim groups in the U.S. as well as a number of participants on the sidelines of the summit.
The summit which takes place on August 28-29 will be attended by over 1,200 religious leaders from 50 countries all over the world.
It has been called to discuss approaches to the settlement of crises and establishment of world peace.
Another report said that UN Secretary General Kofi Annan had planned the summit that was opposed by the United States. It will be the first summit of the world's major religious leaders to devise an advisory role for the united nations' conflict resolution while trying consciously not to be enmeshed in politics.
But even before the summit begins it has become tainted by politics, DPA dispatch said.
China barred the participation of Tibetan Buddhist leader the Dalai Lama, accusing the Nobel Peace laureate, who represents a major community of Buddhists, of promoting an independent Tibet.
Bawa Jain, the summit's secretary general, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA) that the Dalai Lama and Pope John Paul II are the two most significant leaders he would "dream" to have at the summit. The Pope obviously cannot travel because of his old age.
The Dalai Lama was invited, but he declined to avoid any conflict with China at the UN.
Jain said he had unsuccessfully demanded that Chinese authorities keep politics out of the summit. The Dalai Lama will send a senior delegation, which hopefully would be admitted to the UN.
The Vatican will be represented by Francis Cardinal Arinze, president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialog.
Every major religion or faith on earth will send a delegation and a total of 1,000 people are expected.
They will debate the role of religions in conflict resolution and form a council to advise the UN on preventing wars as well as heal their wounds.
"Religions can play a fundamental role in preventing conflicts," Jain said. "Being on the ground, they (religious leaders) know when the tensions are growing and if they have the support of local political leadership to work closely, I believe a lot of conflicts can be prevented." "The UN is a neutral platform," he said. "We want to work closely to support the UN all over the world at creating the advisory council everywhere in the world.
Jain, who has been involved in global interfaith activities for many years, said the summit will be steered by an international advisory panel composed of religious leaders, theologians, scholars from major universities and religious organizations.
The summit is expected to issue a declaration for world peace and plans for setting up the advisory council of religious and spiritual leaders.
"There has been a phenomenal response from religious leaders around the world," said Jain. "They see this as a unique opportunity to join efforts with the UN in a worldwide interfaith initiative." "Our goal is that religious leaders from different traditions will work together to help resolve global problems," he said.
Japanese representing Shinto and Buddhist sects will attend as well as Buddhist leaders from Asian countries, Russia and the United States will attend.
Two important delegations from Islam and Jewish faiths will attend with a total of 23 Jewish rabbis and 72 muftis and sheikhs.
The Islamic delegation will include the grand muftis of Syria, Bosnia, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Egypt, India, Russia, Iran, the United States and Central Asian countries among others.
Other envoys include the Reverend Konrad Raiser, secretary general of the world council of churches; Archbishop Njongonkulu Nungane of Cape Town; His Holiness Abune Paulos, Patriarch of Ethiopia; His Holiness Karekin II, Patriarch of the Armenian Church; and the Reverend Jesse Jackson, a Christian leader representing President Bill Clinton.