Prayers for peace

On August 3, 2007 Dr Homi B. Dhalla participated in a seminar on "Harmony and sustainable living with nature” in Kyoto, Japan. He had been invited, along with representatives of various religious traditions, to participate in the 20th anniversary of the Religious Summit Meeting on Mt Hiei. Dhalla spoke on the Zoroastrian view of ecology and later, during the discussions that followed, elaborated on the constructive role of the Indian judiciary as well as the House of Tata in preserving the environment.

The following day the entire group moved to Mt Hiei for an interfaith prayer meeting where the World Peace Bell, which had been donated to the Japanese people, was rung. The bell is a replica of the one housed at the UN headquarters in New York, which the UN Secretary General rings every year on September 21, the Day of Peace. Dhalla was invited to recite a few Zoroastrian prayers which were translated into English by his son Darius.

Dr Homi Dhalla: religion and ecology

The Dhallas proceeded to Hiroshima on August 6, 2007 where thousands had gathered for the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony which was attended by the Prime Minister of Japan. It was a chilling reminder of that fateful day 62 years ago when the atomic bomb destroyed that city, killing 1,40,000. Many who escaped are still suffering from various diseases. Flowers were dedicated and a silent prayer invoked at this meeting, followed by the ringing of the Peace Bell. Hiroshima’s mayor read out the Peace Declaration after which doves were released and the Hiroshima Peace song was sung.

Earlier, in mid-July, Homi was a guest of the Government of Kazakh­-s­tan’s Ministry of Justice where he made a presentation at the Palace of Peace and Accord in the capital city of Astana. This unusual monument to peace is a 62-meter high pyramid designed by British architect Lord Norman Foster. Underlining the role of artists, educationists, musicians, religious leaders, sportsmen, statesmen and others who are working to establish a culture of peace, Dhalla gave a detailed exposition of the various peace initiatives that are being undertaken globally, with the aid of a power point presentation. In an interview on the national television channel, Khabar, Dhalla was asked various questions on Zoroastrianism and his role in the interfaith movement.

A beautiful replica of the "Golden Soldier,” the national symbol of Kazakh­stan, was presented to Dhalla by the Ministry of Justice as a token of appreciation.