Islamic, Christian and Jewish traditions say that God made Adam in His own image...
 ...Planting a tree is considered a sadqa-e-jariyah, act of continuous charity, a desirable deed for which the planter is rewarded for as long as the tree benefits any form of creation.
... It is not by coincidence, but by Divine Design that all the prophets of Islam have been shepherds at some point in their lives. As shepherds, they tended to the plant, animal and human world, both nurturing and multiplying physical and spiritual resources.
 ...Religions are concerned with activity and not just faith. The climate dialogue presents a wonderful opportunity for people of different religions to work together. Faith leaders could play positive roles in facilitating change. Irrespective of creed, we are all created and sustained by the same source.

...…Muslim faith is incomplete without believing in the 124,000 Ambiya, prophets who have been sent to earth. The Quran informs that there has never been a time when God did not send Messengers who did not speak the language of the people. If followers of Judaism, Christianity and Islam are at odds, it is not because of the teachings of their founders, but despite these teachings.

Sadia Dehlvi

    Swami Vivekananda said: “Bring all forces of good together. Do not care under what banner you march. Do not care what be your colour – green, blue or red – but mix all the colours and produce that intense glow of white, the colour of love. Ours is to work. The results will take care of themselves.”

 

  The scriptures do not support violence and hatred; they clearly advocate non-violence, peace and love.

 

For example, the Mahabharata is often cited as one that advocates war and killing, even killing of cousins! In fact, more than one-third of the Mahabharata deals with conflicts, preparation for war and violent war in gory detail. Yet it is the Mahabharata which says: “Ahimsa paramo dharmah” – non-violence is the supreme virtue and is the foremost duty.

 

   Sri Paramhansa Yogananda explains the essential message of the Mahabharata, in his commentary of the Bhagavad Gita. The hundred sons of Dhritarashtra – symbolising the blind irrational mind – have characteristics of meanness, ill will, hardness, destruction, racial pride, temper, quarrelsome attitude, revengefulness, lack of vision and stupidity. These are the enemies and they must be defeated with all effort on a war footing. This is the real Mahabharata war, both at an individual and societal level.

    The word Jainism is from the root ‘Jin’ meaning the conqueror or the one who has overcome. Jains are followers of Bhagavan Mahavir – whose main teaching is non-violence. Interestingly the foremost invocation of Jains is ‘Namo Arihantanam’ – salutation to those who destroyed their enemies.

 Patanjali says that enmity is absent where ahimsa is the basis. What is ahimsa? Swami Vivekananda says that the test of ahimsa is the absence of (unhealthy) competition or jealousy. This can be made possible by following the dictum of Matthew 7:12, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Thus Aman Ki Asha and peaceful coexistence are possible through non-violence only since ahimsa is non-violence in thought, word and deed.

C V S K Rao