Faith Leaders Strongly Echo the UN Secretary-General’s Call for a Ceasefire

Together, we are leaders from all faith traditions: Indigenous Spirituality, Zoroastrian, Jain, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Jewish, Christian, Islamic, and Bahai.

Together, our communities encompass around 80% of the world’s population.

Together, we strongly support, and hereby echo, far and wide, the call of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Antonio Gutteres, for an immediate global ceasefire.

As many of us celebrate major religious commemorations and holidays, and do so in difficult circumstances confronting all humanity, this is an important moment to raise our voices in unison with our multilateral leadership.

Previously, we have stated that the United Nations represents all of us as peoples, and expresses our shared values. When its leader makes a critical call for the well being of all, there is wisdom in echoing this call for peace.

All of our communities are facing a virus that knows no politics, recognizes no borders, and will not be stopped by any of our old or modern weapons.

Our shared vulnerability – across religion, race, ethnicity, class, gender or any other distinction –   for the first time in our shared history, defines our very humanity. The real war here is not with one another, no matter what we may perceive. Our struggle is against common enemy – against a virus that is killing us in the thousands, in every part of the world, even as we pen these very words.

All our faiths urge us to save lives.

Confronted by this common enemy, we cannot overcome as long we are busy waging our smaller wars. If we fail to focus on prevention, care and healing, only the virus will win all wars -and we will all be losers.

This is the time to win against the virus.

This is the time to cease our fire against one another, and instead to direct the focus of our struggles and the fires of our commitment to health and healing.

This is the time to be strategic and tactical in bringing our efforts together to prevent the spread of this virus and to treat those in the millions who suffer its impact – seen and unseen.

This is the time to be heroes in service to and with one another, as soldiers who lay down the weapons of destruction, and raise up the arms of mercy and compassion.

Signatories

Religions for Peace Moderators:

Dr. Vinu Aram
Director, Shanti Ashram
Co-Moderator, Religions for Peace

Rev. Kosho Niwano
President-Designate, Rissho Kosei-Kai
Co-Moderator, Religions for Peace

H.E. Shaykh Abdallah bin Bayyah
President, Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies, Abu Dhabi
Co-Moderator, Religions for Peace

H.E. Metropolitan Emmanuel
Metropolitan of France, Ecumenical Patriarchate
Co-Moderator, Religions for Peace

With the following Religions for Peace Leadership:

H.E. Cardinal Charles Bo, Archbishop of Yangon, Myanmar; President, Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conference; Co-President, Religions for Peace

Ms. Bani Dugal, Principal Representative to the UN, Bahá’í International Community; Co-President, Religions for Peace

Mr. Homi Gandhi, President, Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America; Co-President, Religions for Peace

The Most Rev. Antje Jackelen, Archbishop of Uppsala, Primate of Sweden, Church of Sweden; Co-President, Religions for Peace

Hon. Mehrézia Labidi-Maiza, First Vice-President, Constituent Assembly, Tunisia;
Secretary, Association for Women’s Progress; Co-President, Religions for Peace

H.E. Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje, Grand Mufti, Uganda; Co-Moderator, African Council of Religious Leaders- Religions for Peace

H.E. John Cardinal Onaiyekan, Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, Nigeria; Honorary President, Religions for Peace

Ms. Aruna Oswal, Vice President, World Jain Confederation; Co-President, Religions for Peace

Grand-Father Dominique Rankin, Algonquin Hereditary Grand Chief; Co-President, Religions for Peace

Imam Sayed Ali Abbas Razawi, Director-General and Chief Imam of the Scottish Ahlul Bayt Society; International Trustee, Religions for Peace

Chief Rabbi David Rosen, KSG CBE, International Director of Interreligious Affairs, American Jewish Committee; Co-President, Religions for Peace

Bhai Sahib Mohinder Singh, OBE KSG, Chairman, Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha; Co-President, Religions for Peace

Grand-Mother Marie-Josée Rankin-Tardif, President, Kina8at Together; Elder from the Anicinape tradition; Member, International Women’s Coordinating Committee, Religions for Peace