Stuttgart, Germany—About 110 members of the MIHR Foundation, a Muslim group, attended a UPF event that included a World Peace Blessing.
The event was held on June 30, 2018, by the Stuttgart branches of UPF and Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, an affiliated organization.
Dr. Abdulcabbar Boran, the chair of the MIHR Foundation in Europe, gave a speech on the topic of marriage and the family. Dr. Boran’s words served as an introduction to the second part of the event, the World Peace Blessing.
Karl-Christian Hausmann, the secretary general of UPF-Germany, showed photos of the Blessing from all over the world, demonstrating its interreligious and international character. He stressed the importance of marriage and the family in all cultures.
Hubert Arnoldi, the leader of UPF-Stuttgart, acting as the officiator, explained the different parts of the ceremony.
In addition to 12 couples, 60 individuals received the Marriage Blessing. Mr. Arnoldi had explained that those who were widowed could participate in the ceremony in spirit for their deceased partner. Participation by those who were not yet married could be taken as a preparation for a future partner.
Dr. Boran offered in closing a Blessing prayer, supported by representatives of various religions as co-officiators.
A Dance of the Dervishes, in which dervishes in swirling white skirts twirled round their own axis to express their focus on God, brought the event to an end.
(Translated from German by Catriona Valenta.)