Tony Blair Faith Foundation Meeting

On the 27th September Tony Blair, the former Prime Minister of UK, met with some of India’s top spiritual leaders of the different religions. In India on a short visit to implement activities of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, he spent several hours hearing the advice and wisdom of India’s spiritual leaders. Pujya Swamijihad recently traveled through London on his way back from USA and had been requested to speak to the international youth fellows who had been selected to undergo a month training in London and then work for the Tony Blair Faith Foundation all over the world.

The meeting on the 27th was attended by the following spiritual leaders: Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswati (President, Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh), Pujya Swami Nikhilananda (Chinmaya Mission), Pujya Swami Ravindra Puri (General Secretary of the Akhara Samaj), Pujya Swami Atmaswarupdas (Akshardham), Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati (Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh), Imam Ahmed Umar Ilyasi, head of the Imams of India, Maulanna Wahiduddin Khan Sahib, Gyani Gurubachan Singh, the Chief Jathadar of the Golden Temple, Archbishop Vincent Concessao, Jain Acharya Lokesh Muni, Rabbi Abraham Benjamin, Ezekiel Isaac Malekar, Father Dominic Emmanuel and many others. Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji and Dr. Pranav Pandyaji were scheduled to attend but unfortunately at the last minute were not able to make it.

The faith leaders shared with Mr. Blair the beautiful and unparalleled way that different religions co-exist not merely with tolerance, but with love and acceptance, in India. Further, it was emphasized that although in other countries charity and humanitarian work (primarily that in the fields of education and health care) are kept separate from spirituality, in India people’s spirituality is an inextricable part of every aspect of their lives and hence a great asset to charitable/humanitarian work. Mr. Blair was very touched and inspired by the words and wisdom of the saints.

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