Religious representatives gather at UN, pray for peace

By Rabia Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - Religious representatives, joined by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, on Friday gathered at the UN headquarters in New York for a prayer for peace.

Guterres addressed the participants before the prayers started, saying: "We gather at a unique moment on the last Friday of Ramadan as Christians celebrate Easter, Jews mark the hand of Passover and Sikhs enjoy the Vaisakhi".

"Even the calendar is sending a message of unity. To unite for people. Unite for our planet. And unite for peace," he continued.

"Peace is needed today more than ever," the UN chief said, noting that war, conflict, poverty, hunger and climate drive millions of people from their homes.

"Let us pray for peace," he added.

The program started by prayers from Won Budhist representative Doyeon Park, also a Chaplain at New York University, who said: "In this time of conflict and division, May we all come together to build a peaceful coexistence".

It was followed by Christian representative Chloe Breyer, who is an Executive Director at Interfaith Center of New York and Episcopal Priest in the Diocese of New York. Breyer prayed for the countries affected by the armed conflicts, including Afghanistan, Ukraine, Syria, Sudan, Ethiopia, Haiti, and Honduras.

Ramaswamy Mohan, Secretary and Treasurer of the Hindu Temple Society of North America, delivered the Hindu prayer.

Lamin Dibba, Permanent Representative of the Gambia to the UN, recited Islam's holy book of Quran.

Rabbi Joshua Stanton, from the East End Temple in Manhattan and a Senior Fellow at CLAL – The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, delivered Jewish prayers while Sikh representative Dr. Simran Jeet Singh, who is the Executive Director of The Aspen Institute's Religion & Society Program delivered Sikh prayers.

The program also included people of secular backgrounds by observing a minute of silence for those without religious beliefs by Jayathma Wickramanayake, the UN Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth, who served as Master of Ceremony.