Poet Quazi Johirul Islam receives prestigious Sri Chinmoy Peace Award

Staff Reporter :
Bangladeshi poet Quazi Johirul Islam was awarded “Peace Run Torch Bearing Award” by the Sri Chinmoy Oneness Centre in a festive atmosphere at the Jewish Center in New York on 19 February.
The award was given to poet Quazi Johirul Islam for his significant contribution to the establishment of world peace through poetry, a press release said.
In his speech, Quazi Johirul Islam expressed his gratitude to the members of the Shri Chinmoy Center, who gave awards, honors, gifts, and to those who greeted him with flowers.
“I try to practice the truth because I believe truth can establish long-lasting peace,” he explains the causes of oneness and the benefits of this practice.
He said, “The world is a great vessel. We are all standing around this. What we produce put in this container and what we eat, we also eat from this. Now if most people in the world produce poison, the pot will be filled with poison. When I pick up the food from the pot and eat it, the poison will enter my stomach. We must do good work for our own sake. Everything comes back.”
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, 35th President of UNESCO Dr David Hampton, Billie Jean King, Prime Minister of Timor Lisette Dr Marie Al Kitty, Bangladeshi mountaineer Wasfia Nazreen, and several renowned peace envoys have won this international award earlier.
Grace Foundation, Quantum Foundation, Writer-Reader-Artists’ Conference, Atmaik Jagaran Sabha and Brahmanbaria District Association also honoured the poet on the same day.
On behalf of the organisations, eminent media personality Dima Nefertiti, Professor Imam Chowdhury, Lokman Hakim, artist Tanvir Tamal and HM Iqbal handed over crests, flowers, and gifts.