Religions must unite, not divide

LEADERS of Christian, Muslim and Hindu faiths are seeking to put systems and structures in place to de-escalate tensions that may arise between the different religious groups.

This comes just as the Hindu Association of SA and the SA Hindu Dharma Sabha are suing the Revival Ministries of Chatsworth for R1 million over allegations of hate speech against the Hindu religion.

Various religious leaders had a virtual meeting to find a way forward.

“It was agreed that religious leaders present… would work toward establishing a platform for dialogue to address issues of conflict between the different groups. It was understood that leaders of the faiths would use their influence to foster peace and harmony… educating was considered key to establishing a sense of community,” they said in a statement.

The ACDP, which was part of the virtual meeting, said it trusted that the judicial system would act in fairness and within the confines of the law in the matter between the two organisations.

Party leader in Chatsworth Jameel Essop encouraged all faiths to “have mutual respect for each other”. He said religious intolerance in Chatsworth had not been dealt with.

Dr Herbert Moyo, an expert in African indigenous knowledge, said religious fundamentalism was the key problem.