New York, August 30, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Prominent religious leaders have warned that hatred is spreading rapidly across borders, even as the world grapples with armed conflicts, displacement, prejudice and the disruptive impact of emerging technologies.
Addressing the “Universal Oneness” gathering at Madison Square Garden in New York, Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders called for dialogue, compassion and a renewed recognition of humanity’s shared identity.
The event was attended by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat and religious representatives from several countries.
Baba Jain, Founding Secretary-General of the World Council of Religious Leaders, presented a call to action prepared following consultations with more than 200 representatives of major faiths from 30 countries.
“We know the extraordinary power of faith to heal, reconcile, and inspire. And the painful truth that religion has sometimes been used to divide, exclude, and justify violence,” Jain said.
He urged religious leaders to examine the words, teachings, institutions and practices within their own communities and reject attempts to use religion to justify hatred or violence.
“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,” he said.
Jain also called on faith communities to build relationships before crises emerge and bring young people together across religious and cultural boundaries.
“The person we know is harder to hate,” he said.
Imam Sharif said the gathering’s real impact would be determined by the actions participants took after returning home.
“The question is what will be different tomorrow because we were here today,” he said, urging participants to leave with deeper relationships, shared responsibility and a determination to act.
Sharif stressed that unity did not mean uniformity, saying, “We do not have to become the same in order to belong to one another.”
He also warned that technological progress had not eliminated longstanding human impulses such as prejudice, tribalism, arrogance and dehumanisation.
“Hatred travels across borders and through our screens faster than ever before,” Sharif said.
Reverend Thorne said people were repeatedly being encouraged to fear, blame or exclude others, and urged them instead to listen and understand.
“Before our titles, before our religions, before our politics, before the borders on a map, we are human beings, children of God,” she said.
Rabbi Blumenthal said Jewish teachings recognised the inherent value and dignity of every human being. He attributed many contemporary social problems to loneliness and called for greater “connection, love, and respect for one another”.
The programme also used Raksha Bandhan and the tying of a rakhi as symbols of care, protection and mutual responsibility. Participants were encouraged to extend those bonds beyond families to neighbours, strangers and people from different religious communities.
Bhagwat has led the RSS since 2009. Founded in 1925, the organisation is currently marking its centenary and has used the milestone to highlight its message of social organisation and service.
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