A Merry Christmas to all!
In a world where hatred and bigotry seem to be ever increasing, where people are being persecuted daily for their beliefs, let this Christmas be a reminder of the teachings of love for humanity. Though a holy day for Christians around the world, the values that define Christmas are universal. The teachings of Jesus Christ are the ones shared by all religions: a love for humanity, compassion for those less fortunate, forgiveness and tolerance. These are values to live by, whatever be one's faith. Islam teaches us the same, as does Hinduism and Buddhism.
Sadly, around the world, we see that the core teachings of all religions are being forgotten or intentionally misrepresented. Wars and conflicts along religious lines continue, and everywhere one looks are people persecuted for their religions. Let us reaffirm today the inter-faith understanding and peace that religions teach. In our country, let this be a reminder of the persecution our minority communities face, and that we have a long way to go in establishing the nation that is for all religions to coexist in with dignity.
We wish all Christians, living here and abroad a merry Christmas. In times of violence and greed, let us hope that values of sacrifice, tolerance and peace will reign supreme.
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