January 19, 2015: REGINA – About a dozen different religions were represented at a local synagogue to celebrate World Religion Day on Sunday.
“You will see a lot of people coming here from different faiths, cultures, and traditions, and they will offer prayers. A prayer for peace is the theme for this year for us,” said Gagan Deep Singh, the chairperson of Regina Multi-Faith Forum.
About 100 people filled the seats at Beth Jacob Synagogue for the annual event, which has been organized by the forum for about two decades.
Recent deadly attacks in France executed in the name of religion have emphasized the need for unity and understanding among believers of different faiths, stressed the synagogue’s rabbi Jeremy Parnes.
“It is a great shame when the great religions of the world are threatened or to be hijacked by people who may not be true representatives of those faiths,” he said.
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 Regina Multi-Faith Forum celebrates #WorldReligionDay at Beth Jacob Synagogue.Unity, understanding highlighted. #YQR 2:17 AM - 19 Jan 2015 Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada |
The event included Buddhist, Jain, Sikh, RQHR Spirital Care, and Muslim prayers.
“We are all breathing the same air, we all are connected together. Sometimes we forget that, we get caught up in our own, sort of, petty lives or what’s going on in our own, sort of, small worlds, and that can derail the larger picture,” said Parnes.
While violent incidents stemming from religious intolerance or religious extremism is a historical and topical reality, both Parnes and Singh remain optimistic peace is possible.
“The key thing is to focus on the commonalities. All religions have a lot of common things inside them, and this event is all about sharing those common things. And religions are supposed to create unity, not the other way around,” said Singh.