Religious Tolerance as a Key to World Peace

With so much chaos happening in the world lately, it's easy to assume that there is little hope left for humanity.

But even though most of it is unknown, the agenda for world peace has actually been very actively worked out and advocated for. For example, the agenda of The Congress of Leaders and Traditional Religions is always replanted, reformed, renewed and reaffirmed every three years, when religious leaders from various religions and countries meet one another.

I had the opportunity to attend the last meeting of the congress, which took place in Astana, Kazakhstan (October 2018). Essentially this meeting was no different from the first event in 2003. Everyone from rabbis, muftis, to monks and priests exchanged relations with each other and they worked together to unravel what the meaning of world peace was and how to achieve it.

But what makes this sixth congress so strikingly different from before is the effort to have religion as a worldview translated into practice. Each edition of the meeting does have its own theme. The 2015 meeting, in particular, was passed by reviewing lengthy discussions between religious leaders and political figures, which culminated in the establishment of peace standards and even the construction of the Peace and Reconciliation Palace in Astana in 2006.

Of course, this year's session reviews what was passed down and agreed upon by participants three years ago, with a special focus on how the religious community can deal with global security issues, change the geopolitical landscape, extremism and terrorism, and the specific challenges and responses they carry.

In retrospect, the narrative collected during the congress confirms what I have long suspected: that religious tolerance is our only path to world peace. In this era of technological progress, religious beliefs face a number of challenges, one of which is the decline in numbers.

But the reduction in the number of believers was not so drastic. Research conducted by demographers Conrad Hackett and David McClendon in 2015 showed that only 16 percent of the world's population (which currently stands at 7.7 billion people) considered themselves "not affiliated" with a religion; the rest still adheres to one religion or at least acts according to their belief system. This shows that most people believe in a belief, still and may continue to believe in a higher power that makes us all stronger.

I believe world peace may not be as difficult as skeptics might think. The rationale behind it is actually logical. That all of us, no matter how different our skin color, socioeconomic status, and belief systems are, we are still living on the same planet called Earth. This really shows the singularity that we believe in, even in each unique way and method.

This power that binds us all comes in various names - God, God, Yahweh, Brahman, and many more. We are the same in our humanity, although in our delivery we are different. There are so many interpretations and modes of worship of the Divine. And we have many languages to communicate and map the meaning that we mean.

Some of us have found a way to truly understand why we are all here. Some people are just happy to know that we are here.

If togetherness is the best we can get at this time, then it's time to take full advantage of that togetherness. Whatever disharmony exists, is not the result of our religious differences, but our inability to live in peace.

Religion is a worldview that takes us on the path to moral life. An ethical life is a peaceful life. And a peaceful life is a life that is lived in peace too.

Translated from Ahmad Tolush Religious Key Tolerance to World Peace (Editor of the New Straits Times)