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2nd Anniversary of Father Moon's Passing Observed in London
Saturday, August 16, 2014
London, UK - UPF-UK held an event Aug. 16, 2014 in its London headquarters to commemorate the second anniversary of the passing of its founder, Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon. The warmth shown by Ambassadors for Peace was very moving, evidenced in the testimonies from Imam Sajid and David Hart and the response of Patti Boulaye, who came and sang despite her busy schedule.
The Lancaster Gate ballroom was filled with people, as well as the overflow area downstairs. It was an opportunity to share personally and to show videos about Father Moon and his vision for UPF to many Ambassadors for Peace and friends. There were also inspired performances by Japanese volunteers, part of the South London Peace Embassy choir, and Rev. Harriott with Patti Boulaye.
Imam Sajid, whom Father Moon called his "favorite imam"
"I have witnessed myself his great contribution in building bridges to establish peace in the world. That is why he is rightly named as a ‘peace king’ because he has worked beyond borders of any differences of race, culture, religion and many other areas in which we human beings are divided.
"A slogan emphasized by Rev. Moon I first heard from my father at the age of four and a half years old. He was teaching me several sentences in Arabic from the Qur'an: ‘The best human beings are those who serve others (my father added: selflessly).' When I read that Rev. Moon said ‘You must live for the sake of others,’ I thought that is the Prophet’s message, so he is the Prophet of God who inviting us to sacrifice ourselves for the sake of others." (More)
Rev. Dr. David Hart, a retired Anglican priest
"Sun Myung Moon was like Jesus calling humankind to realign their faith to deal with current challenges informed by personal inner experience of the living God." (More)
Keith Bennett
"As a regular visitor to North Korea I have been able to see with my own eyes something of the surface of this work. Things like the Potonggang Hotel that was renovated by Rev. Moon and maintained by the Unification Movement. The Peace and Convention Centre in front of the Potonggang Hotel. The billboards of the Peace Motors are the only non-political advertising in all of North Korea."
He was very surprised in 1991 by the ground-breaking visit of an arch enemy of North Korea to meet President Kim Il Sung. At that time there was no North Korean mission in the UK so he called his friend in the North Korean Mission in Paris. His friend seemed to be as surprised by the news as he was. His friend explained that as Korean people get old they think more about their native place and he felt Rev. Moon would not be an exception. (More)
Ahmed Shebani, founder of the Democratic Party of Libya
"I want to start with a reference to the Qur'an 6:32, where God tells us that 'whoever revives the soul of a human being, it is as if he has revived all of humanity. Whoever kills the soul of a human being, it is as if he has killed all of humanity.' Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) said: 'Whoever removes the obstacle from the path does an act of charity' and three channels can continue a person's life work: 'If a child prays for him, an educational institution that he left behind, and a charitable institution and good deeds that he left behind.' The late Father Moon has subscribed to all three good virtues I just mentioned." (More)
Justina Mutale
"Father Moon was a man whose heart was focused on bringing together people of different faiths to bridge these divides. His call on people of faith to serve others is an important legacy that needs to be upheld. Father Moon advocated that humanity should learn to love and share without limits, to sacrifice and suffer without limits, to practice courage and service without limits; not only for one’s own family, race, community, nation or country, but for the whole of humankind.
"Father Moon also believed in a new age of spirituality, one based on the universal principle of unselfish service to others and a culture of God-centered families where people of all nations, cultures, races and religions would live together in harmony. Just like Father Moon, in Africa we believe in the spirit of Ubuntu. This is a traditional African philosophy that offers us an understanding of ourselves in relation with the world. In the philosophy of Ubuntu, we believe that 'a person is a person through other persons' and that there exists a common bond between us all. It is through this bond, through our interaction with our fellow human beings, that we discover our own human qualities." (More)
Tina Coombs in closing remarks reminded everyone that Mother Moon had supported Father Moon's mission throughout the decades and was now leading the Unification Movement inspired by Father Moon.