Toronto multi-faith communities pray for peace

(January 22, 2015) – Faith and spiritual leaders gathered at Toronto’s Noor Cultural Centre on Wednesday night to offer prayers for peace in the world.

“Welcome to this multi-faith gathering for prayers for peace,” said Samira Kanji, President of Noor Cultural Centre. “I am deeply grateful to everyone who has come tonight.”

Kanji, in her welcome remarks, spoke of the difficulties and suffering being experienced around the world as a result of human failures and the need for people to come together to counteract despair with prayers. .

“What are we to do? What can we do? Prayers offered by members of the human family joining hands across the superficial divisions of communities which we also believe to be God’s purposeful design,” she said.

“Our prayers are the least – and yet perhaps the best – we can offer at this troubled time of so much global suffering, human and non-human, caused by human behaviours of violence and environmental degradation.”

Faith leaders from Baha’i, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and Zoroastrians congregations offered prayers for peace at the gathering.

“InshaAllah, God willing, our small efforts today will move mountains,” added Samira Kanji. “We need the power of prayer to do wondrous things; we pray to God and He is capable of wondrous things.”