Indian Ambassadors Praise Rev Moon’s Peace Org in House of Lords

Lord Hameed Becomes “Ambassador for Peace”

From the website of Rev Moon’s Universal Peace Federation:

At the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, people from the world’s largest democracy challenged the United Kingdom to consider ways in which religion can join with civil society in partnership with governments and the UN for the sake of peace. “Religion is kept at arm’s length by the UN and national governments,” India’s former ambassador to Nepal, K.V. Rajan, stated. “Isn’t this good for our world when we consider the contribution religion can make to resolving, or at least diminishing conflict, through applying universally recognized values such as sacrifice and service to others?”

…”The Universal Peace Federation is the forum to address these issues” said Dr. L.M. Singhvi, former High Commissioner of India to the UK…”Peace is too important to be left to diplomats and soldiers alone. Peace will not come unless civil society is at the forefront and pushing interfaith dialogue.”

Singhvi has previously praised Moon as “the steadfast warrior of peace”, and he claims that Indian President AJP Abdul Kalam is also an admirer. Participants all agreed that religion should play a role in public life, and that interfaith dialogue was crucial. Dr. Thomas G. Walsh, secretary general of the UPF, was also present, and

At the conclusion of the session, Lord Khaled Hameed was awarded a certificate as Ambassador for Peace.

The “Ambassador for Peace” status is a crucial part of Rev Moon’s strategy for gaining respectability, and an impressive number of people have been brought on board (according to the Peace Federation website, there are 11,000 “ambassadors”).

Of course, Rev Moon’s perspective on inter-faith dialogue is rather unusual. He has encouraged Christian ministers to throw out the cross, and he has urged Jews to “repent” for killing Jesus, the “King of Israel”. Further, at meetings in the USA Moon recently explained that

In Jerusalem, in 2003, on the foundation of the victory attained through such blood, sweat and tears, I had Jesus proclaimed as the king of kings before heaven and earth with the acknowledgement of Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Following this, in 2004, I was acknowledged as the King of Peace both in a United States Senate Office Building [see here] and at the Korean National Assembly. Subsequently, in June 2006, we held the Coronation Ceremony of the True Parents as the King and Queen of Peace in Heaven and Earth.

I looked at some of the other prominent individuals who have become associated with Moon here.

(Hat tips to a reader, and to Dispatches from the Culture Wars for the above Moon quote)