3 days ago
Faith Leaders Reject Religion-Fuelled Hate at New York Gathering
Religious leaders from many countries met in New York to talk about growing hatred.
They said religion should never be used as an excuse to hurt or exclude people.
They also said people can keep different beliefs while respecting one another.
The leaders promised to challenge hatred in their own communities.
They want people from different backgrounds to become friends before problems turn into conflicts.
They said helping people who are hungry, sick, displaced or persecuted is more important than making promises alone.
They also asked that technology and artificial intelligence be used to help people.
Participants tied rakhis as symbols of care, protection and shared responsibility.
Religious representatives from 30 countries issued commitments rejecting religion-based hatred, humiliation, dehumanization and violence.
More than 200 faith representatives helped prepare the call to action presented at the Universal Oneness gathering.
Leaders pledged to examine their own communities, defend targeted groups and build interfaith relationships before crises arise.
Speakers urged joint service for people facing hunger, illness, displacement and persecution, especially involving young people across communities.
The declaration called for technology, including artificial intelligence, to protect human dignity, truth, freedom and human connection.
- Who
- Religious leaders and representatives from 30 countries, including Jewish, Christian and Muslim participants, attended alongside Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Chief Mohan Bhagwat.
- What
- Participants issued a call to reject religion-fuelled hatred, protect persecuted communities, strengthen interfaith cooperation and keep technology in service of humanity.
- Where
- Madison Square Garden in New York.
- When
- The reports identify the gathering as taking place on August 30; an embedded ANI post is dated August 29, 2026, creating a date discrepancy.
- Why
- The leaders cited armed conflicts, displacement, prejudice, mistrust and hatred spreading rapidly across borders and digital platforms.
Key facts
- Event
- Universal Oneness gathering, also described in an ANI video headline as the One World One Humanity event.
- Location
- Madison Square Garden, New York
- Participation
- More than 200 representatives of major faiths from 30 countries helped prepare the call to action.
- Core pledge
- Reject using religion to justify hatred, humiliation, dehumanization or violence.
- Community responsibility
- Faith leaders pledged to examine their own teachings and practices, speak out when people are targeted and hold their communities accountable.
- Humanitarian focus
- Leaders called for joint service to people facing hunger, illness, displacement and persecution.
- Technology principle
- Emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, should strengthen dignity, truth, freedom and human connection.
Quotes
Universal Oneness declaration
Joint declaration issued by participating religious leaders
“Hatred travels across borders and through our screens faster than ever before. Technology is advancing with breathtaking speed, all while humanity is still struggling with ancient diseases of the heart, freed, prejudice, arrogance, tribalism, dehumanisation and the thirst for domination,”
thehansindia.com
“We will reject the use of religion to justify hatred, humiliation, dehumanisation or violence and teach that deep conviction can coexist with respect for those who believe differently.”
thehansindia.com
Sources
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