In a remarkable interfaith gesture, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed was honored with a siropa (robe of honor) at Sikh Temple of Reno (USA). Temple President Gurmail Singh Uppal presented the siropa to Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism.
Talking on the occasion, Rajan Zed stressed that all religions should work together for a just and peaceful world. Dialogue would bring us mutual enrichment, he added.
Zed has taken-up interfaith, religion, Roma (Gypsies) and other causes all over the world. He has read opening prayers in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C., various State Senates and State Assemblies/Houses-of-Representatives, various County Commissions and City Councils all over USA. He was invited by President of European Parliament in Brussels (Belgium) for a meeting to promote interfaith dialogue. Many cities in the U.S. have named October 25 as “Rajan Zed Day.”
Bestowed with “World Interfaith Leader Award” he is Senior Fellow and Religious Advisor to Foundation for Religious Diplomacy and Spiritual Advisor to National Association of Interchurch & Interfaith Families and has been invited and participated in World Economic Forum. He has raised lot of voice to end apartheid like conditions faced by about 15-million Roma populace of Europe. He has been panelist for “On Faith,” a prestigious interactive conversation on religion produced by The Washington Post, and currently leads a weekly interfaith panel at a Gannett publication for more than three years.
Rajan Zed has extended his support to various Sikh causes; including Sikh monument issue in Kisumu (Kenya), asking International Basketball Federation to lift its headgear ban, reserving a seat for Sikhs and Hindus in the Afghanistan Parliament, Komagata Maru memorial monument in Vancouver (Canada), burning of Sikh immigrant issue in Italy and against the turban ban in Quebec Soccer Federation (Canada).
Zed was presented with a siropa in Golden Temple complex, which contains the holiest shrine and highest seat of Sikhism; besides siropa and a shawl by Giani Balwant Singh Nandgarh, Jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, and by Giani Tarlochan Singh, Jathedar of Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib.
