DiliPost.com- RPA program of HWPL – Inter-religious diaglogue according to scriptures
On November 27th, HWPL Religious Peace Academy, organized by the international peace organization HWPL took place at the office of AN-NUR in Dili, Timor-Leste.
HWPL’s Global Peace branch 04, organized the event to help East Timorese religious leaders understand each other’s religions through scriptural lectures and to raise the level of awareness of citizens through religious lectures based on scriptures. Held at the AN-NUR office in Dili, Timor-Leste, the event was attended by 17 religious figures from Islam, Christianity, and Catholicism, as well as media organizations and local citizens.
The HWPL Religious Peace Academy (RPA) aims to deepen religious exchange and understanding beyond a basic level of comprehension of different religious scriptures.
As part of this initiative, HWPL has been inviting prominent religious leaders from various faiths to deliver lectures at the RPA. These lectures serve as a platform for comparative research, promoting a culture of peace, and interfaith unity.
At the Religious Peace Academy (RPA) in Timor-Leste, two panels, one representing Islam and the other Christianity, each delivered 15-minute lectures.
Abdullah Said Sagran from the Islamic panel gave the first lecture. He emphasized that for peace, “honesty,” “justice,” and “equality rights” are essential. Referring to the Quran, the holy book of Islam, he stressed that since humans are created in the same image by Allah, they should strive for a secure nation and a prosperous society in accordance with the teachings of the Quran.
Sagran highlighted that it’s important not to fight for our own profit, but to fight for truth and righteousness, understanding each other.
As recommendations, he quoted verse of Prophet Muhammad, “O people, spread greetings, give food, connect the rope brotherhood, pray at night when people are asleep, I’m sure you will enter heaven safely. Next up was the Christian panel, Lorenso dos Santos.
He said humanity should create a “safe and peaceful atmosphere” for humanity itself. And for that, harmony between religions needs to be strengthened. By quoting Matthew 5:9, Psalms 133:1, and Romans 14:19, he said God gave us this world as home, and teaches us that the one who make peace atmospher and strive for peace is blessed.
And he also introduced ATR-TL, which is the inter-religious organization of Timor-Leste. “With motto of ‘FUAN’, Fraternidade, Unidade, Amizade, Natureza, ATR-TL is working for harmony and peace between religions in Timor-Leste” He added.
During the event, HWPL urged all participants to support the HWPL Religious Peace Academy. Participants who expressed their commitment to HWPL’s efforts to achieve peace in Timor-Leste joined HWPL as members and supported the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW), proclaimed by HWPL as an international law for achieving peace through the cessation of war.
Abdullah Said Sagran, a lecturer at Religious Peace Academy said that “I think it’s a good event to understand each other to be able to build Horizontal human relationship and fraternity. That’s where Honesty, Fairness and equality are needed to prosperity and happiness life in the world and after here in paradise.”
HWPL will continue to work with religious leaders to promote a culture of peace and interfaith harmony in East Timor. Currently in East Timor, they are organizing an offline event for the Dili Religious Affairs Office in December and will conduct an RPA in January and an offline event for the Dili Religious Affairs Office in February next year. (**)
