Wage a War Against Our Common Enemy Amma gave the closing plenary address to a thunderous standing ovation on the final evening of the ten-day gathering of the 2004 Parliament of the World’s Religions. She was joined at the ceremonies by Federico Mayor, the former UNESCO Director-General, and Dr. Raimon Pannikkar, a respected Spanish philosopher. Amma´s discourse stressed the importance of harnessing "spiritual power" in an effort to rise above religious differences. "The problem arises when we say my religion is right; yours is wrong. This is like saying my mother is good; yours is a prostitute." Amma emphasized that "love and compassion are the very essence of all religions."

Amma's speech also drew applause when she spoke on the importance of combatting poverty in our society. "Amma is alarmed to see the direction in which the world is heading. If, in the future, there is a Third World War, let it not be between countries, but rather a war against our common enemy, poverty."

Following the closing ceremonies, thousands of attendees, including government officials and dignitaries, rushed to receive Amma´s darshan. Amma remained at the Forum in Barcelona, long after its closing, receiving crowds well into the night, as word spread through the city about Amma´s attendence.

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