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“In the name of God of soul and wisdom,
than whom thought cannot reach higher.”
With a deep look into human life in different epochs in the
course of history and thorough study of religions, we come
to this belief that divine religions share the same reality.
Although there are different branches to religions, they are
fed by the same root which is their reality and that is
honoring human and his greatness. It is a great honor for
human to be addressed to by God and His divine messengers
and prophets. We may thus say that all these messages and
prophecies can be condensed into one goal that is exalting
and elevating humankind and bringing him perfection. Beyond
any doubt, this goal cannot be achieved be man unless in a
peaceful place free from violence and in the presence of
peaceful coexistence. Therefore we can say that the primary
goal of dispatching prophets and holy books has been
creating a calm and peaceful society where people can live
peacefully together and traveling through different paths of
perfection, get closer to God’s goal which is making
humankind more heavenly, day by day.
Then again, unfortunately we witness a lot of violence in
different societies, caused by some hostile groups who
unfortunately in their minority have spread their dark
gloomy clouds over a large portion of world societies. These
groups contrary to what people of the world desire, have
placed the world in a belligerent tumultuous situation, or
at least try to make it appear so.
The smallest loss such an atmosphere could inflict on
humanity, would be distancing humans from God’s purpose of
creation and sending down prophets and heavenly religions.
In this situation, the responsibility of true believers of
religions becomes greater. It is on them to strive
strenuously to fulfill prophets’ goal of promoting peace and
calmness throughout human societies. Undoubtedly peace, at
least potentially, exists in the souls of all human beings.
We believe in interfaith dialogue as the best path to this
goal, and thus that is the path which we have taken.
Although violence and turmoil war-seekers have created
around the world makes our goal seem somehow unattainable,
but we believe that with our continuing effort and
perseverance, we will be able to weather difficulties of the
way and negotiate obstacles to our destination. Let me
finish my remarks with assistance of a poem by an Iranian
poet called Bahar, in which overcoming obstacles with
patience and perseverance is beautifully portrayed. I look
at the fluent crystalline stream as “dialogue” and the
obstinate heavy stone as “war and violence”:
Flowed down a spring off from the hills
Alas blocked him a stone on the way
Thus he said softly to the hardened stone
Kindly move and clear me the way
That hefty mean black-hearted stone
Slapped him and told him go away
Did not stir I from the raging flood
Who are you to ask me to give you a way
Daunted not the spring these cold words of stone
So he kept digging and stood firmly on the way
So hard he tried and dug and pierced
'till at last he opened a way through the stone
If you try and persist in your deeds
Troubles will not keep you away |
