By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: The perception created by media that Islam is associated with violence and terrorism is totally wrong, said Buddhist spiritual leader Dalai Lama at world religions congress that began at Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi on January 17.
In his keynote address at the three-day global congress on World’s Religions after September 11: An Asian Perspective, Dalai Lama said that people irrespective of their faiths are doing irreligious things as soon as they are out of their places of worship. They try to show themselves as sincere followers of their religion when they are in temple, church, mosque or synagogue, he said.
The three-day congress has been organized by the Centre for the Study of Comparative Religions and Civilisations, Jamia Millia Islmia and the Faculty of Religious Studies, McGill University, Canada.
Earlier welcoming the guests JMI VC Prof. Mushirul Hasan said Jamia has been committed to harmony of faith and civilization and nationalism and it is evident from the presence of Study of Comparative Religions and Civilisations and Nelson Mandela Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution at its campus.
“We have gathered here at this Congress in the shadow of two sad happenings in recent months – the outrage and killings of innocents in Mumbai on 26/11 and unprovoked murder of innocent Palestinians in Gaza,” he said adding that the two cannot be overlooked.
In our own country we have seen practitioners of hate who were hell bent to undermine the secular foundations of the society in the 1990s which led to demolition of Babri Masjid, the VC said.
Over 150 Delegates from 14 countries are expected to take part in the global congress. They will be exploring the interface between Religions and other disciplines such as Religion and Civilizational Dialogue, Religion, Conflict and Peace, Religion, Science and Technology, Religion and Human Rights, Religion, Art and Morality.
Is there an Asian Way of Resolving Religious Conflict? and Can Interfaith Dialogue Make a Difference? are two important topics to be discussed during the congress.