Deeply pained at the killings happening around the world -from Christchurch to Colombo, in the name of religion, WSN editor Jagmohan Singh expresses the need for men and women of religion to prepare and defeat the evil among us.

Witnessing Babar’s atrocities, Guru Nanak asked God,

ਏਤੀ ਮਾਰ ਪਈ ਕਰਲਾਣੇ ਤੈ ਕੀ ਦਰਦੁ ਨ ਆਇਆ ॥੧॥

There was so much slaughter that the people screamed. Did You not feel compassion, O Lord? ||1||

Today, in the world around us, in the Name of God, for reasons of God, the followers of God are attacking places of God and killing people of God.

In Christchurch, New Zealand, a Christian attacked a mosque, with Facebook Live. In Sri Lanka, a Muslim group has taken responsibility.

In Myanmar, the ‘peaceful’ Buddhist militants are humiliating, harassing and Rohingya Muslims as a matter of state policy under the leadership of a Nobel Peace Prize winner Ang Sang Sui Kyi. Even the Dalai Lama seems helpless.

In India, Pragya Thakur, an accused in an incident of violence is released from prison on health grounds and she proclaims, “I brought the Babri Masjid down.”

In the Punjab, the pseudo-cultist Sirsa Dera is allowed to prosper and the followers have the audacity to again relate their convicted rapist chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim to Guru Gobind Singh by saying, “Men of God always have had to face difficult situations.”

In Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Yemen and Syria, it is the Sunni Muslims versus the Shia Muslims.

In the face of such a situation, it is easy for agnostics and communists to question God and religion. It is natural for any person to look up to the sky and seek, “Where is God?” It is a challenging time for believers of all faiths.  It is even more challenging for religious leaders of all communities worldwide. In this day and age, when everything is logic and reasoning, faith is at a serious discount.

There is no escape route for no one. Anyone can strike anywhere anytime for any reason. It is time for men of God to reach out to each other. History tells us that the clash of religions and civilisations has led to crusades killing millions of people.  We certainly do not deserve them again.

Faith leaders have to lead from the front.  Pope Francis lamented the cruel violence and prayed for those killed and injured. Dr Yousefbin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen, Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has strongly condemned attacks in churches in Colombo and made a call for international solidarity to fight this menace.

So far, Giani Harpreet Singh -the acting Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib has not made any public statement on the matter though some Sikh organisations have taken the lead to denounce the inhuman killings.

Countries, politicians and pseudo-religious leaders will continue to play their dirty games. Men and women of God need to prepare and contest evil.