Pave the Way Foundation Issues Call to Action for All World Religions
Pave the Way Foundation commends 58 Pakistani clerics who condemn violence in the name of Islam. The organization calls upon all the religions and all people of good will to condemn those who commit acts of violence in the name of religion.
New York, NY (PRWEB via PR Web
Direct) June 6, 2005 – Pave the Way Foundation commends the 58 Pakistani
clerics who recently condemned violence in the name of Islam. Their statement is
an important step in bringing an end to the chain of violent events that now
endanger every human being on the planet. The organization now call upon all
world religions to forward their own message condemning those who falsely invoke
God’s name to convince others to commit murder and suicide.
This month,
in Lahore, Pakistan, fifty-eight clerics issued a fatwa (decree) declaring that
those who believe that suicide attacks are meant to earn blessings would be
considered out of Islam. Mufti Mohammad Khan Qadri, Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal MNA,
Maulana Abdul Malik and other prominent clerics were present on the occasion.
The edict says that Islam forbids suicide attacks on Muslims and that those
committing such acts at places of worship and public congregations cease to be
Muslims. The decree said that killing innocent people was haram (forbidden) in
Islam.
“The world’s major conflicts are based in religious extremism,”
said Gary Krupp, Founder and President of Pave the Way Foundation. “It’s time
that the world’s religions take responsibility for these extremists. Governments
cannot respond to religious zealots, only the religions can denounce their
misguided interpretations. Only the world’s religions, in a united voice, can
stop the evil people who victimize others by promoting violence by using the
name of God.”
Pave the Way Foundation calls upon the leaders and all
members of the world’s religions to stand with these brave clerics of Pakistan.
The organization calls upon them to make the following statements, true to all
the world’s religions:
- Our religion does not condone murder.
- Our
religion does not condone suicide.
- We must take responsibility to help our
fellow man.
History is replete with stories of “religious” people harming
and killing others in the name of god. These stories have sullied the good name
of religion. Yet, history has neglected to report on the true perpetrators, evil
individuals who have usurped the name of religion in order to wage war against
other individuals and groups.
Pave the Way Foundation is the one
organization worldwide dedicated to inter-religious action, by eliminating the
obstacles between the faiths through gestures of good will. The group organized
and conducted an audience with Pope John Paul II containing the largest number
of Jewish persons to ever meet with a pope. Pave the Way arranged to have the
works of Maimonides (a 13th-Century Jewish philosopher) loaned from the Vatican
to the Israel Museum, the first time in history these writings will be on
Israeli soil. It is arranging a mission of peace loving Muslim leaders to travel
to Israel to show the world that Muslims do not hate Jews and Israelis and
Israelis and Jews do not hate Muslims.
The Pakistani clerics have planted
a seed. This growing trend of Muslims, who wish to defend their religion against
those who defile its name by acts clearly forbidden in the Holy Qur’an, must be
encouraged. www.Freemuslims.org is another group, which should be
encouraged. The religions must be bonded in their common message and should
stand shoulder to shoulder in supporting these benevolent
statements.
“Destructive extremists exist in all of our religions,” said
Krupp, “When their deeds cause harm to others, the religions must bond together
loudly and in unison, with their common message, to condemn these acts. The
religions have created these monsters of extremism and must be collectively
assume the responsibility of dealing with them.”
About Pave the Way
Foundation
Pave the Way has a simple yet monumental goal -- to enable all
world religions to achieve their goals by embracing their similarities and
savoring their differences. In today's world, some try to achieve their goals
through violence, in the name of religion. To silently allow this to happen
defames every faith. Our vision is that the unified voice of the world's great
religious leaders condemning violence and promoting trust will pave the way to
peace.
Contact:
Gary Krupp
350 Fifth Avenue, Suite 3805
New
York, NY 10118
(212) 629-0046
http://www.pavethewayfoundation.org
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/6/prweb248124.htm