Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto concluded his UNGA 80 speech with greetings from Muslim, Jewish, Hindu and Buddhist traditions, promoting global peace and justice. His words reflected a vision for a world where diverse cultures coexist harmoniously.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto concluded his speech at the United Nations General Assemblyโs 80th session on Tuesday in a distinctive way by using greetings from multiple religions. He said, “Wassalamuโalaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh, Shalom, Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om, Namo Budaya.” Later, he also thanked the assembly, saying, “Thank you very much. May God bless us all, may peace be upon us.” The inclusion of greetings and peace prayers from Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, and Buddhist traditions highlighted his vision for a world where justice prevails and the weak are protected.
In a strong call for peace, the Indonesian President said his country was prepared to send “20,000 or even more of our sons and daughters to help secure peace in Gaza or elsewhere in Palestine.” Reiterating Indonesia’s unwavering position, Subianto stressed full support for the two-State solution, insisting that both Palestine and Israel must be free, independent and secure from threats and terrorism.
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Significance of the multi-faith greetings
- Wassalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh: It’s an Arabic phrase meaning “And upon you be peace, and the mercy of God and His blessings” and is used as a polite and respectful Muslim greeting.
- Shalom: It’s a Hebrew word which means peace and can also be used idiomatically to say hello or goodbye.
- Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om: In Hindu culture it translates to “Om Peace, Peace, Peace.” The sacred sound ‘Om’ represents universal energy, and the triple repetition of ‘Shanti’ invokes peace in the past, present, and future.
- Namo Budaya: It’s a Buddhist greeting that conveys respect and peace.
80th UNGA sessionย
It is to be noted here that the high-level debate of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly commenced on Tuesday in New York, with global leaders convened to address pressing challenges. During the session, discussions were dominated by the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, along with the growing Western recognition of Palestinian statehood. This year’s theme is “Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights.”
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