“Love of God and Love of the Neighbour or Love of the Good and Love of the Neighbour”
World Interfaith Harmony Week is a UN Observance which takes place during the first week of February each year. World Interfaith Harmony Week will commence on Friday, 1 February, 2013.
On 20th October, 2010, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the first week of February of every year, the World Interfaith Harmony Week between all religions, faiths and beliefs. ‘Love of God and Love of the Neighbour or Love of the Good and Love of the Neighbour’ are found in all our Holy Texts and are the substance of our faiths and beliefs. These values are recognised in all faiths.
Religions for Peace Australia will be participating in World Interfaith Harmony Week with events in several states.
UN Proclaims World Interfaith Harmony Week
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 21 2010- The UN General Assembly late Wednesday adopted a consensus resolution, proposed by Jordan, proclaiming the first week of February of every year “World Interfaith Harmony Week” among all faiths and beliefs.
World Interfaith Harmony Week was introduced by Prince Ghazi Bin Mohammad, the Personal Envoy and Special Advisor to the King of Jordan, the resolution recognized the urgent need for dialogue among different faiths and religions in enhancing mutual understanding, harmony and cooperation among peoples. The Prince said the Assembly was well aware the world was rife with religious tension, mistrust, and hatred, which facilitated war and violence. The remedy for such problems could only come from the world’s religions themselves, and although much good work had already been done towards that end, religious tensions were on the rise.
The resolution, he explained, would seek to turn the tide against that negative movement by coordinating and uniting efforts among all interfaith groups doing positive work through one focused annual theme. At the same time, it would harness the collective might of places of worship for peace and harmony and regularly encourage the “silent majority” of preachers to commit themselves on the record for peace and harmony.
He said the proposal was purely voluntary and no place of worship should be forced to observe “World Interfaith Harmony Week”. The resolution, he added, also “excludes no individual, compromises no one, commits no one, forces no one, harms no one, costs nothing, and – on the contrary – includes everyone, celebrates everyone, benefits everyone, unites everyone and has the potential to bring much needed peace and harmony to the entire world, InshaAllah“.
UN Documents for World Interfaith Harmony Week
H.M. King Abdullah II’s Speech to the United Nations, H.R.H. Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad’s Speech reading the Declaration to the General Assembly along with further documentation are available on the World Interfaith Harmony Week Website
