Pope Francis rejects violent acts committed in name of religion, God

CAIRO, April 28 (KUNA) -- Pope Francis, of the Roman Catholic Church, on Friday affirmed his rejection of any acts of violence committed in the name of religion or in the name of God.
"Let us say once more a firm and clear 'No!' to every form of violence, vengeance and hatred carried out in the name of religion or in the name of God," the pope told a peace conference at Egypt's highest Islamic authority, Al-Azhar.
He stressed the importance of educating youth and meeting their main needs for the sake of spreading peace.
People's future depends on dialogue between religions and cultures, underlining the need of rejecting barbarism, which calls for violence.
"We have an obligation to denounce violations of human dignity and human rights, to expose attempts to justify every form of hatred in the name of religion, and to condemn these attempts as idolatrous caricatures of God," he said.
Muslims and Christians are invited to contribute to cooperation for combating evil, which threatens the world, he said.
"Evil only gives rise to more evil, and violence to more violence, in a spiral than ends by imprisoning everyone," Francis said.
The Pope stressed the need of concerted efforts to make peace, settle disputes and be advocates of reconciliation not of spreading destruction.
He urged people to cooperate for ending poverty, and stopping arms flows that encourage violence and halt war, stressing that Egypt has embraced different civilizations and cultures.
Meanwhile, Al-Azhar Grand Imam Ahmad Al-Tayyeb has confirmed the need of raising awareness on heavenly religions, and spreading humanitarian and moral values as well as highlighting justice and equality, and respecting human being regardless of his/her religion.
World peace has become the lost Paradise, he said, adding that arms trade and production were the cause of the absent peace all over the world.
Shedding light on the correct image of all heavenly religions and restoring awareness on them are the only way for resolving problems facing the world, he stressed.
He said: "Islam, Christianity or Judaism are not religions of terror, and all violence acts committed in the name of them are very far from their values." He reiterated that the European culture is not a culture of terror because of the two world wars that erupted in the heart of Europe and claimed lives of 70 million. (pickup previous) asm.hm