Religious group wants meeting with Zuma
Apr 9, 2010 2:56 PM | By Sapa
The National Religious Leaders Forum (NRLF) requested an urgent meeting with president Jacob Zuma to discuss ANC Youth League president Julius Malema's conduct.
The group said it also wanted to discuss the rise in hate speech and racism, the president's initiative to establish a moral code, and the future of the interfaith movement's relationship with the state.
The NRLF was set up on the request of former president Nelson Mandela, 15 years ago, and is the most powerful, representative and the only legitimate interfaith body in the country.
The NRLF said it was committed to the ideals of dialogue, respect, nation building, reconciliation and renewed efforts at national cohesion.
The religious leaders pledged to continue to harnesses the tremendous power and potential of the religious communities to work together in order to promote social cohesion, social upliftment, poverty eradication and values that enhance moral regeneration.
The NRLF held a meeting on Wednesday at which they decided to call a meeting with the President.
The executive members of the NRLF are SA Council of Churches secretary general Eddie Makue; head of the Anglican church, Archbishop Dr Thabo Makgoba; Chief Rabbi of SA, Dr Warren Goldstein; secretary general of the Muslim Theologian Council, Moulana Ebrahim Bham; heads of the Catholic Church, Archbishop Buti Tlhagale and Cardinal Wilfrid Napier; Buddhist leader Peter Just; the leader of the Bahai community, Shohreh Rawhani; secretary general of the Dutch Reformed Church, Dr Kobus Gerber; leader of the Hindu community, Archbishop Serafim of the Orthodox Church; and Ashwin Trikamjee and Bishop Ivan Abraham, heads of the Methodist Church.
The NRLF said it was not the same organisation as the recently established National Interfaith Leadership Council (NILC), which was "under the auspices of the African National Congress".
The NRLF said it was saddened by the establishment of NILC because it believed an alternative body could be divisive, but it welcomed NILC members to join the NRLF.
http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/article395954.ece/Religious-group-wants-meeting-with-Zuma
