The Global Programme for Introducing the Prophet of Mercy

[shaheediyan]

http://www.sikhnet.com/sikhnet/news.nsf/Ne...725730600623283

Sikhs at the House of Lords. Date: 06/26/2007

On June 25th, 2007, London England, Lord Ahmed and Lord Harries, hosted the All-Party Parliamentary Interfaith Group on behalf of The Global Programme for Introducing the Prophet of Mercy. The event took place at the House of Lords and featured some seventy religious leaders and representatives from a diverse range of backgrounds as well as members of Parliament. Representing the Sikh tradition were Guru Kaur, Hari Karam Singh, Parmjit Singh and Harbakhsh Grewal.

This was the second major event arranged by the interfaith group created by Lord Ahmed, a Muslim, and Lord Harries, the former Bishop of Oxford, in an effort to cultivate a dialog between leaders from all religious communities. London is home to people from a diverse collection of religious backgrounds, and accordingly, the event was attended by many different denominations including Christians, Jews, Hindus, Muslims, Hare Krishna’s, Sikhs and Buddhists.

The gathering was centered around a presentation and open discussion with the The Global Programme for Introducing the Prophet of Mercy, an Islamic organization of scholars whose objective is to counter the negative publicity which the religion often receives and to educate the world about the true essence of the Islamic faith which is founded upon peace and tolerance. The initial speeches and presentation called for more dialogue between politicians and religious leaders and for people in general to learn to separate politics from religion. It emphasized that the prophet Muhammed and subsequent followers were known for teaching and practicing tolerance and peaceful resolution to disagreements and also promoting the equality of women. The speakers also called on the media to represent better Islamic tradition by not associating the faith with the extreme activities of a few rebels. Afterwards, the floor was opened to questions of which terrorism was the main focus.

Sardarni Sahiba Guru Kaur Khalsa was one of the attendees present on behalf of the Sikh tradition. She is a Sikh minister, respected teacher of Kundalini Yoga, and founder of Regally Graceful Executive Consultancy, which promotes Aquarian business practices. She is also the wife of the photographer Nick Fleming.

Also attending on behalf of Sikh Dharma were Hari Karam Singh, Parmjit Singh and Harbakhsh Grewal. Hari Karam is a student and teacher of Kundalini Yoga and an Internet Technology consultant and entrenpeneur. Parmjit Singh is a former chartered accountant and now works as the director of the UK Punjab Heritage Association. Harbakhsh Grewal now works with Parmjit on the management committee and was previously a political researcher.