South Indian archbishop convenes peace summit

(Aug.03,2010) An archbishop in southern India has brought together Hindu, Muslim and Christian leaders in a meeting to promote peace in Kerala state.
This comes in response to a recent incident in which, Islamic radicals chopped off the hand of a Catholic professor, T.J. Joseph, for allegedly insulting Islam in an exam question paper. Major Archbishop Baselios Mar Cleemis, head of the Kerala-based Syro-Malankara Church told the Media “It is our duty to maintain harmony and mutual respect. That is why we organized this meeting.”
In a statement issued after the meeting held recently in the state capital Thiruvananthapuram, Archbishop Baselios Mar Cleemis appealed to leaders of all religions to fight the divisive forces that aim to destabilize society. “No religion preaches communal hatred, but the attack on the professor has led to a communal polarization,” said the prelate’s statement adding that “no community should be isolated on the basis of stray incidents.”
Archbishop Mar Cleemis said he regretted the recent “unfortunate happening,” which has proven the existence of “evil forces who scheme to divide and spread mutual hatred in the state.”