Despite the Manila Bulletin, the Philippines was one country where there was some opposition; The News Today reported: The Global Peace Festival held here Nov. 17-19 became controversial after the Roman Catholic church withdrawn their support and manifested their strong opposition to it. Christians in the Solomon Islands took a similar view, as noted by the Solomon Times: Church leaders in Honiara are calling on all Christians in Honiara, and throughout the country, not to attend Reverend Moon's Global Peace Festival planned for this Saturday at the Lawson Tama Stadium. In the UK, some politicians have distanced themselves from Moon-organised events; the Guardian reported that: Tom Brake, the Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman...[said] "I don't see eye to eye with their views but I don't see any particular problem with speaking at their event, especially if it gives me an opportunity to challenge what Rev Moon advocates." On the whole, however, coverage has been positive. The UPI reports from Japan: The Japan festival, hosted by the Universal Peace Federation and other nonprofit organizations, was held Saturday in Ajinomoto Stadium, Tokyo, with roughly 50,000 participants and delegates from 43 countries. A report from Kenya is provided by the Bay Area Family Church: Prime Minister Raila Odinga and his wife Ida introduce UPF Co-Chair Dr. Hyun Jin Moon to a large crowd of Kenyan youth and families at the Global Peace Festival in Nairobi. Unsurprisingly, the USA is covered by the Washington Times : The festival, held on the West Lawn of the Capitol, represents the launch of a long-term initiative by more than 150 faith- and community-based organizations to advocate for peace and unity worldwide. From Mongolia we have the strangest account, from Mother Tynnetta Muhammad, "wife" (1) of Elijah Muhammad, concerning a visit she made recently to Mongolia. Muhammad was in the country to research her relationship to Kublai Khan ("revealed to me in a vision in 1984"), but due to synchronicity and telepathy her visit coincided with the Universal Peace Federation's International Leadership Conference and Global Peace Festival: Representatives from the Unification Church leadership and Universal Peace Federation having learned of my vision and search in finding the interpretation of this vision had first opened the doors to my investigations and my most recent discoveries in Mongolia. Apparently she received "gifts and awards" during the festival. (For reasons unknown, her article begins with a Koranic quote about the crucifixion of Jesus being an illusion, and ends with a verse that mentions "the iniquity of the Jews".) The links between the NoI and the Unification Church are long-standing; Frederick Clarkson wrote a piece on the subject for Salon back in 2000. I noted Unification Church attendance at one NoI event here.
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Rev. Moon Makes Global Inroads with Peace Festivals | 2 comments (2 topical, 0 hidden)
Rev. Moon Makes Global Inroads with Peace Festivals | 2 comments (2 topical, 0 hidden)
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