U.N. Marks First 'Interfaith Harmony Week'

By Richard Yeakley
Religion News Service

The United Nations kicked off the first "World Interfaith Harmony Week" on Tuesday (Feb. 1) to promote dialogue and civility among the world's religions.

The observances are meant to reaffirm that "mutual understanding and inter-religious dialogue constitute important dimensions of a culture of peace," according to a resolution passed by the U.N. General Assembly.

The resolution establishes the annual events during the first week of February each year.

The observances have garnered support from international leaders including King Albert of Belgium and Jordan's King Abdullah II and Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad.

The three goals of the "World Interfaith Harmony Week" are to coordinate efforts of positive work; to use places of worship to foster peace; and to encourage religious clergy to declare support for peace.

As many as 44 separate events were scheduled around the world on Wednesday (Feb. 2), according to the World Interfaith Harmony website.

Comments

[Krzysztof Plucinski]

05:31 PM on 02/06/2011

Is to late for them as the Bible stated: "And yet then I will confess to them: I never knew YOU! Get away from me, YOU workers of lawlessness." (Mt. 7:21-23)

[American Air]

02:54 PM on 02/04/2011

Some b!goted religions with their Jealous god don't like this..they want their right to establish religious supremacy and speak ill of other faiths and other gods.

[Barbara Graham]

12:44 PM on 02/04/2011

I would like to see a World Harmony day without the supernatural kool ade flavoring.

Religion is on its way to marginalization. We should hurry it along instead of continuing to legitimize it.

[Loren Loren]

05:28 AM on 02/04/2011

Does religion really matters when it comes to marriage? Can it make two souls become one as well? Does it work for a Catholic and an Islam? Most of the time, religion is one of the reasons why some relationship don't work.

http://www.handmadeleatherstore.com/

[bbriani3842]

01:03 PM on 02/03/2011

"Faith without works is nothing. Works without Faith is still pretty good."

-- Jon Stewart

[bbriani3842]

12:59 PM on 02/03/2011

How about trying a week of "No Faith"?

[LintLass]

01:24 PM on 02/03/2011

I dunno, is this the 'New Atheism?' "If you thought organized religion was tedious and repetitive, come be an atheist on the Internet!" :)

Maybe you could do with a little practice at that interfaith harmony thing, yourselves. :)

[massjim]

12:36 PM on 02/03/2011

World Interfaith Harmony Week ... I love it. A bunch of people who all believe that the others are going to burn in a lake of fire for eternity, but hope they have a nice day.

[gnosius]

12:33 PM on 02/03/2011

Interfaith Harmony is another label for what is in fact a religious cartel. Kind of like OPEC, only selling false hopes and a distorted version of the history of man for the benefit of ... OPEC guys and other corporations.

[Cipo]

12:07 PM on 02/03/2011

More evidence that the UN is a massive waste of time, resources, and space.

[ninetailedfox]

11:40 AM on 02/03/2011

Good luck there.

Christian" Jesus is the ONLY way to GOD!"

everyone else : Excuse me?

[ecotopian]

11:29 AM on 02/03/2011

Reminds me of National Brotherhood Week by Tom Lehrer (Remember, this is satire. Don't get you knickers in a bunch):

Oh, the Protestants hate the Catholics,
And the Catholics hate the Protestants,
And the Hindus hate the Muslims,
And everybody hates the Jews.

But during National Brotherhood Week, National Brotherhood Week,
It's National Everyone-smile-at-one-another-hood Week.
Be nice to people who
Are inferior to you.
It's only for a week, so have no fear.
Be grateful that it doesn't last all year!

[LintLass]

10:34 AM on 02/03/2011

Wow, atheists, you spend enough time complaining about interfaith *disharmony,* now you're complaining if someone tries to do something about it? :)

Or are you just looking forward to conflicts about who's more properly atheist? :)

[olmossy]

11:16 AM on 02/03/2011

I have to laugh at myself sometimes to. I think it is the mistrust of anything "Religious".
Especially huge religious orthodoxies seemingly 'joining hands' on an international level.
I don't know which is scareir, Them all fighting each other or Them getting together. ;)

[gigihoffman]

11:47 AM on 02/03/2011

I lean atheist but I think this is a wonderful thing. I only wish the media had covered it more. This is the first article I've seen. I believe that most people in this world respect other religions. We only hear about the "disharmony". All of this false christianity in this country over the past two years has turned a lot of people off, including me. When did it become okay to be intolerant in the Christian faith? That's not how I grew up. How far we've fallen in this country is saddening.

[ThinkCreeps]

06:42 AM on 02/03/2011

Included as a key of part of international waste time on superstitious cant fortnight.

[ThinkCreeps]

06:42 AM on 02/03/2011

Ah.... National Brotherhood Week! The legacy of Mr Lehrer.