JERUSALEM,
June 26, 2017
/PRNewswire/ -- 60 of the World's Most Prominent
Religious leaders, issued a common greeting for the end of the
Ramadan and celebration of Eid el
Fitr calling for making friends across religions.
On the list are such notables as the Dalai Lama, the
Archbishop of Canterbury, Rabbi
Jonathan Sacks, Patriarch
Bartholomew, Cardinal Schonborn, Sri Sri
Ravi Sankar and many others, affiliated with the Elijah
Board of World Religious Leaders (see Board leaders
here). Prominent Muslim leaders joined the message of good
wishes across religions. The message issued jointly and through
individual offices throughout the world reads:
As the Muslim community finishes celebrating the month
of Ramadan and prepares for the feast
of Eid el Fitr, we wish to send a message of friendship and unity
across religions. We recall with great appreciation the recent
appeal to make friends that many of us had the honor to be a part
of. A message of friendship across religions is our sincere wish to
one and all, Muslims and non-Muslims, and we are happy to recall
this message on the occasion of the end of Ramadan and the celebration of the Eid.
Friendship and unity are our vision for humanity and as religious
leaders we pray that our followers, followers of other religions
and even those who do not follow any religion at all, will all help
disseminate this spirit of friendship and unity. We are aware of
the fact that leaders of different faiths are sending this message
out at the same time. At this time in humanity's history, when
divisions seem to grow ever wider, this message of unity is our
sincere wish and fervent hope for the wellbeing of
all.
The leaders' message recalls the just released call for
friendship across religions in which they, as well as Pope Francis,
Israeli Chief Rabbi David Lau and
the Grand Mufti of Egypt, took
part.
It is the first time ever that such an
appeal is made as a common religious teaching
and is in many ways a novelty in religious teaching. The present
Eid message is the first time religious leaders of different
traditions issue a coordinated message.
For further information, please visit the press section on
http://www.elijah-interfaith.org or send your interview
request/questions to:
Press.MakeFriends@gmail.com
Participating Leaders (bios on
www.elijah-interfaith.org)
Buddhist leaders
H.H. the Dalai
Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, India
Jan Chozen Bays, USA
Ven. Norman Fischer, USA
Dharma Master Hsin-Tao,
Taiwan
Ven.
Bhikkhuni Kusuma, Sri
Lanka
Ven. Prof. Jinwol Sunim,
Korea
Ven. Sayadaw Ashin Nyanissara, Myanmar
Ven. Khandro Rinpoche,
India
Ven.
Phradharmakosajarn, Thailand
Ven. Bhikkhu
Sanghasena, India
Ven. Karma Lekshe Tsomo,
USA
Ven.
Chan Khong
Christian leaders
Archbishop
Hilarion Alfeyev, Russia
Archbishop Aram
Atesyan, Turkey
Ecumenical Patriarch
Bartholomew I, Turkey
Bishop Josiah Fearon, Nigeria
Prior Isabelle
Flye-Saintmarie, Israel
Rev. Prof. David Ford, UK
The Most Rev.
Frank T. Griswold, Former Presiding
Bishop, USA
Katharine Henderson, USA
Dimitra Koukoura,
Greece
Bishop
Lennart Koskinen, Sweden
His Eminence
Metropolitan Nikitas Lulias, USA
Archbishop Boutrous
Mouallem, Israel
The Very Reverend
June Osborne, England
Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, Austria
Cardinal Telesphore Placidus Toppo, India
Archbishop Justin Welby of Catnerbury,
UK
Abbot Primate Notker Wolf OSB, Italy
Jewish leaders
Chief Rabbi
Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron, Israel
Rabbi David Bigman, Israel
Rabbi Yuval Cherlow, Israel
Rabbi Menachem HaCohen, Romania
Rabbi Arthur Green, USA
Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar, Russia
Prof. Rabbi
Richard Marker, USA
Rabbi Michael Melchior, Israel
Rabbi David Rosen, Israel
Gilla Rosen, Israel
Chief Rabbi
Jonathan Sacks, England
Chief Rabbi
Shmuel Rene Sirat, France
Rabbi Abraham Skorka, Argentine
Rabbi
Awraham Soetendorp, The
Netherlands
Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg, UK
Hindu leaders
Swami Agnivesh,
India
Swami
Amarananda, Switzerland
Sudhamani Mata
Amritananda Mayi (Amma), India
Swami Atmapriyananda,
India
Chandra
Swami, India
Swami
Chidananda, India
Swami Rameshwarananda
Giri, Spain
Acharya Shrivatsa
Goswami, India
Karshni Swami Sri
Gurusharananand, India
Sister Jayanti,
UK
Swami Ramdev, India
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar,
India
Bhai Sahib
Mohinder Singh, England
Sugunendra Theertha
Swamiji, India
Swami Suhitananda,
India
Muslim leaders
Sheikh Muhammad Nur
Abdallah, USA
Sayyed Jawad al-Khoei, Iran
Dr. Yihya Mossa Basha,
USA
Grand Mufti
Dr. Mustafa Ceric, Bosnia
Imam Plemon El Amin, USA
Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi,
India
Dr.
Muzaffar Iqbal, USA
Sheikh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani, USA
Dr. Wahidudin Khan,
India
Sayyid Fadhil Milani, UK
Dr.
Adamou Ndam Njoya, Cameroon
Sayyid Hassan
Qazwini, US
Imam Abduljalil
Sajid, UK
Dr. Ahmed
Taoufiq, Morocco
Sheikh Hamza Yusuf, USA
Dr. Muhammad Suheyl Umar, Pakistan
Contact Person:
Alon
Goshen-Gottstein
+972-52-640-6060
gogo@elijah.org.il