("The Hindu," February 8, 2007)
New Delhi, India - To propagate global harmony,
the World Council of Religious Leaders (WCORL)
has facilitated the signing of a `Protocol of
Cooperation' between Hindu and Jewish religious
leaders here.
The declaration was signed by the chief rabbi
of Israel, Rabbi Yona Metzger, and Swami Dayanand
Saraswati, convenor of Hindu Dharma Acharya
Sabha, at the end of the two-day Hindu-Jewish
Leadership Summit here.
The summit agreed to constitute a standing committee
of Hindu-Jewish relations. The declaration primarily
acknowledges the shared values of the two of
the oldest living religious traditions in the
world and condemns all forms of religious violence.
Speaking on the occasion, Swami Dayanand Saraswati
said, "Hindu- Jewish dialogue will act
as a benchmark for others to follow and emulate,
resulting in a better environment for one and
all. I have always believed in peaceful co-existence
in a multi-religion environment. All religious
traditions should respect common values and
insist on compassion. Religious leaders have
great responsibilities in leading people of
their respective faiths to a peaceful path so
that the planet is safe to live."
Rabbi Yona Metzger said though their religious
dialogues have increased recently, the Hindu-Jewish
declaration is a significant move.
"For thousands of years we have marched
on parallel causes and now built bridges of
cooperation between the two religions ,"
added Rabbi Yona Metzger.
