Religious and national unrest world wide has prompted the Universal House of Justice of the Baha'i World Centre to make a world wide call for religious leaders to put aside their prejudices against one another and come together under one God.

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'i's of Bermuda were instructed by the Universal House of Justice to sound the message of spiritual peace throughout the Island. So far the group has successfully sent its message to five religious leaders of Bermuda.

At a press conference held on Thursday the Baha'i's said that Anglican Bishop Rt. Rev. Ewen Ratteray; African Methodist Episcopal Churches' presiding elder Rev. Malcolm Eve; president of the Bermuda Seventh Day Adventist Churches, Dr. Samuel Bulgin; Resident-Imam Basim Muwwakil of the Muslim Faith; and Bishop of Hamilton the Most Rev. Robert Kurtz of the Roman Catholic Churches of Bermuda, had all been contacted.

When asked how he felt about the document, Bishop Kurtz said: "The call to unity is always welcome, but I think we have to respect the beliefs of individuals."

He also said that he welcomes the invitation to dialogue with the National Spiritual Assembly about religious unity, but he believes that it will be a difficult process because of the criss-cross of beliefs.

Pastor Bulgin said he believes: "Christians do play a key role to bring about world peace", and that if religions could come together with a common goal, peace could be brought about.

The Baha'i faith is the youngest of the world's religions and has between 5 million and 6 million believers world wide. There are 150 on the Island. However youthful the faith, it has an age old belief of world peace and works ardently towards its goal - which explains this recent call, Baha'i leaders said.

Unlike other religions which have individual leaders, the Baha'i faith has a governing body of nine called the Universal House of Justice, who are elected every five years by their National Spirit Assemblies represented world wide.

Bermuda's National Spirit Assembly - like the others which also have nine members - are acting as messengers for the call.

Member of the Bermuda Assembly, Arlene Brock said: "It is an appeal to all religious leaders to promote peace in the world.

"By putting aside prejudices in the world, we can put aside hatred in the world."

She also said that other prejudices such as chauvinism and racism have become unacceptable over the years and that religious prejudices are way behind them.

"The way to get rid of prejudices is to understand that there is only one God. We need to go back and understand that we are all one," she said.

The Universal House of Justice notes in the letter: "The crisis calls on religious leadership for a break with the past as decisive as those that opened the way for society to address equally corrosive prejudices of race, gender, and nation.

"`The well being of mankind, its peace and security, are attainable', Baha'u'llah (founder of the religion) urges, `unless and until its unity is firmly established.'"

Shirley Fagundo, another member of the Bermuda Assembly said, "Local assemblies are now distributing some 520 copies throughout the Island. We also have copies available to anyone who wants them."

Other members of the Bermuda assembly include: David Kendell, Lesley Basden, Evelyn Cann, Leighton Rochester, June Saltus, Derick Symonds, and Anthony Ball.