Speech
National Interfaith Forum
Ladies and Gentlemen, I greet you in the languages of the realm of New Zealand - English, Maori, CookIsland, Niuean and Tokelauan.
Kia Ora, Kia Orana, Fakalofa Lahi Atu, Taloha Ni
Greetings to many leaders of faith communities, to Members of Parliament, Gordon Copeland and Sue Moroney, ladies and gentlemen. I would like to thank you for inviting my wife Susan and I this evening to the Fourth National Interfaith Forum.
As you will know I am a New Zealander of Fiji-Indian descent. What you may not know is that I am also Catholic but in our household not all persons are Catholics. Our household and that of our parents have been admitting of several streams.
For me as a result of schooling with the Marist Brothers at SacredHeartCollege and maintaining over the years that association being Catholic is as much a part of my identity as my culture is. I am fortunate, though, to maintain (as does Susan) connections and friendships with people of many faiths. In that we are similar to many other contemporary New Zealanders.
In this country we are fortunate to have the freedom to celebrate many faiths. While Christian and traditional Maori beliefs may have predominated in New Zealand's historical past, we are now a people of many faiths.
Drive along our streets and you will see Christian churches, and in some suburbs (South and
West Auckland furnishing two examples) , synagogues temples and mosques sitting near to each other. This religious diversity enriches our culture and underpins an important part of who we are as New Zealanders.
Our children and grandchildren share their classrooms with peers who pray five times a day, or who don't play rugby on Sundays or who don't pray at all.
That we are free to choose our own religions is to be celebrated. We are lucky to have an inclusive and tolerant society. A better understanding and appreciation of faiths other than our own, teaches us we have shared values even though our places of worship may look different.
A well-known Maori proverb expresses well how important it is that we embrace diversity. It goes:
The tui sings, the kaka chatters, the pigeon coos.
Religious faith is sometimes blamed as the cause of much of the world's conflict.
Disputes between differing religious groups have been apparent since the beginning of faith itself. To many, it may seem as though the world would be more peaceful without so many different, and sometimes contradictory, faiths.
But faith is not what causes conflict. Conflict is inevitably fuelled by a lack of understanding. More often than not, it is by not understanding another person's belief system, and being unwilling to respect that belief, that causes conflict.
It is well-known that what we do not understand, we fear.
That is why the Interfaith Forum has, in my view, such an important role to play. Rather than concentrating on the differences between faiths, your organisation celebrates shared values and promotes understanding between people with different beliefs.
Faith is what binds you.
We witness this shared bond in times of great sorrow, and in times of joy.
New Zealanders were devastated by the tragedy of the Boxing Day tsunami. We shared our grief in churches, synagogues, temples and mosques where we prayed for the victims, the survivors and their families.
New Zealanders were together in their outpouring of sympathy and also in their faith.
So too when we celebrate events of great joy like sporting achievements and festivals, we come together in our praise and heartfelt tributes.
The Interfaith Forum is leading by example. You are helping your fellow New Zealanders live by principles of inclusion and respect by encouraging celebration of all beliefs. I congratulate you for this.
When I look around the room I see faces representing a multiplicity of ethnic origin, culture and faith, sitting beside one another. These are the faces of New Zealand in 2007. It can be said that our country's diversity is our country's strength.
We are fortunate to live in a country where freedom of religion is something we can all enjoy.
Leading by example, we can demonstrate to other countries who do not share our freedoms that all citizens within a society are the richer for freedom of religion.
I thank you for the work you are doing to promote togetherness in faith.
I hope you enjoy your time together during the Fourth National Interfaith Forum and use this as an opportunity to share wisdom on the principles of inter-faith.
I began speaking in all the New Zealand realm languages. May I close by speaking in Maori issuing greetings and wishing you good health and fortitude in your endeavours.
No reira, tena koutou, tena koutou, kia ora koutou katoa