This annual event is observed during the first week of February, after the United Nations General Assembly designation in 2010. The UN General Assembly pointed out that mutual understanding and interreligious dialogue constitute critical dimensions of a culture of peace. Therefore, it established World Interfaith Harmony Week to promote harmony, regardless of their faith.
Scientology Churches are active and committed supporters of interfaith action and the right of all people to practice their own religious beliefs.
This week saw celebrations worldwide, including Europe of the Interfaith Harmony Week and the 2nd anniversary of International Day of Human Fraternity.
The Churches of Scientology around the world every year join this initiative by promoting dialogue, values and human rights. These are concepts central to the Scientology religion. For example, in the Creed of the Church of Scientology, Founder L. Ron Hubbard wrote, “We of the Church Believe…That all men have inalienable rights to their own religious practices and their performance.” There are many other instances where the scriptures call on Scientologists to understand and work with other religions in the achievable and indispensable dream of peace.
Their interfaith activities take many forms, but the common theme is the importance of working together for the good of all.
In Switzerland, the church contributed to the organization of the webinar Interfaith Harmony and Peacebuilding, Principles and Tools of a Faith-based Approach onhosting, which counted with the expert participation of Rev. Dr. William A. McComish (Dean em. St. Peter’s Cathedral, Geneva); Rev. Dr. Simone Sinn, Professor of Ecumenical Theology, Ecumenical Institute in Bossey, WCC; Chief Rabbi Izhak Dayan, Jewish Community of Geneva; Prof. Boumediene Benyahia, Director Kalima Institute on Spirituality in Islam, France; Dr. Dieudonné Mushipu Mbombo, Catholic Priest, Theologian and Philosopher
In Barcelona, Spain, Scientologists have worked with Association UNESCO for Interreligious Dialogue (AUDIR) to update and upgrade an exhibition called “Perspectives in dialogue” [Mirades en diàleg] which will be released next February 25th with the participation of regional and local government officials.
In Hungary, they have continued to cooperate with priests from the Catholic Church and others in food distributions to the needy.
Scientology Volunteer Ministers from England, Hungary, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and others have sanitized places of worship of Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and more. With that, they have increased the safety of practising believers during worship.
When the pandemic struck, the Church of Scientology International encouraged people of all faiths or none to understand and apply the most effective protocols to prevent the spread of the virus by setting up the How to Stay Well Prevention Resource Center. Educational booklets and dozens of videos in 21 languages make it easy to understand how to protect oneself, friends and families. Scientology Volunteer Ministers distributed more than 10 million copies of these booklets in their communities.
“Religion is the first sense of community,” wrote Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard in an article titled “Religious Influence in Society,” in which he announced the creation of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers program in the mid-1970s. He described the Volunteer Minister as “a person who helps his fellow man on a volunteer basis by restoring purpose, truth and spiritual values to the lives of others.”
“If one does not like the crime, cruelty, injustice and violence of this society, he can do something about it,” he wrote, and he provided tools to help anyone do so through 19 brief courses based on his research into the mind, spirit and life.
