Goa Body Promotes Unity Among Religions For Peace

Dubai: A religious body from Goa in India promoted unity among religions to attain peace along with officials from Indian Islamic Centre, Bohri community, St Mary’s Church and a local gurdwara.

Sadguru Brahmeshanandacharya Swamiji along with Vipul, Consul-General of India; Brigadier Hamdan Al Raisi, senior vice-president, government relations, Government of Dubai; Father Micael Cardozo from St Mary’s Church; Surendra Singh Khandari, chairman of Gurunanak Darbar Gurudwara; Prashant Manghat, chief executive of NMC Healthcare; and Sudesh Giriyan, chief operating officer of Xpress Money, led the meeting at the Indian Consulate in Dubai on Friday.

“We are sons of same almighty. We need to be united irrespective of any caste, religion and country. Our motto is to unite the entire world as they are our family,” Brahmeshanandacharya Swamiji told 400 delegates present from six countries.

The event was organised by International Sadguru Foundation, UAE branch, which has more than 300 members, along with Dr Swapnil Nagwekar, president of the foundation’s local council, who is also a radiologist at NMC Hospital in Abu Dhabi; and Mahadev Fotto, a member along with other officials from India like Dr Shashikant Kerkar and Arjun Yashwant Naik.

‘Peace be with you’

“Saint Theresa, the saint of the gutter, said, ‘Peace begins with a smile. This statement is so simple and yet so poignant in our age. Jesus’ first word after resurrection was ‘Peace be with you’. It’s a formal greeting in the Arab world — As salamu alaykum,” said Father Cardozo.

Swamiji, who has also been named the ambassador of peace by the UK parliament, along with other officials also highlighted the example of Dubai, where residents of 200 different nationalities coexist with each other in peace.

“In the entire world, spiritualism is the core of uniting all people. We are trying to connect people from everywhere and we should come together for peace, harmony and brotherhood and it is possible only when we are united,” Swamiji said, adding “we should unite the world only for peace, harmony and brotherhood.”