'Violence means faith not understood’, religious leaders call for peace after Mumbai & Aurangabad riots

Mumbai: Religious leaders and members of different faiths have called for peace and condemned violence in Aurangabad and Mumbai. They said people who indulged in violence have not understood their respective faith and that the essence of all religions is to spread love and understanding.

Zeena Shaukat Ali, director-general of Wisdom Foundation, that holds interreligious dialogues for non-violence and peace building, said, “I think such violence needs to be abhorred and condemned. We have had a legacy of several religions living for thousands of years. We should be celebrating festivals together and cannot allow disharmony. Those who indulged in riots are irreligious and do not understand what religion teaches.”

"People should seek forgiveness in Ramzan," says Zeenat

She added, “In the month of Ramzan, one is supposed to seek forgiveness if they have hurt someone. It is a month of non-violence. Even pre-Islamic Arabs observed this as a month of non-violence.” 

Similar views were echoed by members of other faiths, too. “I would say that God gives sense to all people and no one indulges in violence. I will say that they should live peacefully and with love and amity,” said Prasannamuni Swami, a priest from the Swaminarayan Mandir. 

"All religious traditions seek love and peace," Fr. Nigel Barrett

Fr. Nigel Barrett, spokesperson of the Archdiocese of Bombay said that it is a basic thing that no true faith teaches violence. “No religion talks about violenc. All religious traditions seek love and peace and people promoting violence have not understood their faith. We do hope that religious leaders step in and take a strong stand in the context of love and peace and condemn any kind of violence in the name of religion,” said Fr. Barrett.