The Sunday Mail
Pretty Chavango – Religion Correspondent
THE Zimbabwean chapter of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) recently commemorated the life of the organisation’s late founder, Reverend Sun Myung Moon.
Commonly known as the Unification church, UPF is an inter-faith organisation through which people of different religions converge with the common aim of upholding peace.
Founded by Rev Moon in Korea, the Unification Church has now spread internationally to more than 120 countries, Zimbabwe included.
August 30 marked the third anniversary of Rev Moon’s death and the day is referred to as the third universal Seonghwa, which means ascension.
Delivering the key note address at the ceremony held at the organisation’s Harare offices, leader of the Zimbabwean UPF chapter, secretary general Rev Bosako Iyolangomo spoke on the works done by the late founding leader.
He said the late Rev Moon had a vision for world unification through peace and believed that all faiths were made for peace and people were to live as one family regardless of religion or nationality.
Rev Moon was also famed for conducting mass wedding ceremonies known as blessing ceremonies. He is said to have matched couples from differing races and nationalities as part of his belief that all of humanity should be united.
“International and inter-cultural marriages are the quickest way to bring about an ideal world of peace, People should marry across national and cultural boundaries with people from countries they consider to be their enemies so that the world of peace can come that much more quickly,” reads the UPF official website.
And therefore accordingly, inter-marriages between Zimbabweans, Japanese, Mozambicans,Tanzanians and many other nationalities is rampant in the inter-faith organisation.
Rev Bosako said the church is conducting various programmes in the country in its quest to uphold peace. These include family days, children’s days, cultural diversity days, peace workshops as well as character education in some schools.
He noted however, that the organisation has not progressed much in Zimbabwe due to resource constraints.
Rev Bosako commended the late Rev Moon’s great works saying that although he was jailed six times for his work, he never wavered. Rev Moon is said to have spent all his 92 years serving the Lord and urging people to emulate his works.
“Go beyond your religion, do not be limited by culture, skin, language or country”, he is quoted as having said.
Bishop of the Islamist Religion in Zimbabwe, Sheikh Musa Menk who also took part in the ceremony said although their religion had been tarnished by deviants who sought to please themselves, the Holy Qur’aan teaches that one who has saved one soul will be rewarded as one who has saved all humanity.
UPF is an international and inter-religious network of individuals and organisations. It includes representatives from religion, Government, civil society and the private sector who are dedicated to achieving world peace.
