New Zealand Faith Leaders Join Forces for Peace

Media Release: 17th Sep 2016

New Zealand Faith Leaders Join Forces for Peace

Faith leaders from several mainstream religions joined hands today to find ways to achieve lasting peace. The meeting in Auckland was arranged by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community New Zealand and was entitled, Justice: The Foundation for Lasting Peace.

“A recent survey has ranked New Zealand as the fourth most peaceful country to live in. What sets us apart though is that we are also one of the most etnically diverse socities in the western world”, says Dame Susan Devoy, the chief guest for the event. “It is encouraging to see that leaders of so many different faiths have come together for one purpose - of achieving peace through their beliefs. The challenge for us as a society going forward though is to take the message originating in this room to the New Zealand population at large”.

Leaders representing the Hindu, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist, Jewish, and Islamic faiths all highlighted how religion can play a positive role in promoting peaceful coexistance, and increasing cohesion in the society. The speakers and guests at the event acknowledged and thanked the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community for arranging the meeting, and for providing a platform for a positive discussion to take place.

“Ahmadiyya Muslim Community worldwide continues to engage all faith groups to find means to achieve global peace. The conference today was a small step on our long journey towards that goal. The commitment shown by our fellow faith leaders today was heart warming ” said Acting President for the Ahmadiyya Community, Mr Yunus Hanif. He thanked the religious leaders and Dame Susan Devoy for helping make the event a success. The meeting in the Three Kings suburb of Auckland was attended by over 160 guests.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is a dynamic, fast-growing international revival movement within Islam. Founded in 1889 by Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835-1908) in Punjab, India, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community spans over 206 countries with membership exceeding tens of millions. Its motto of ‘Love for all and hatred for none’ is evidenced through the peaceful actions of its millions of followers. The New Zealand branch of this community was established in 1987 and has just over 400 members.

ENDS

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