Nevada (US), Dec 22 (ANI): Hindus have applauded Pope Benedict for connecting environmental protection with peace promotion in his message for the celebration of World Day of Peace, which falls on January one.

Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, commended His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI for his powerful stand on environmental issues and for his statement: “The environment must be seen as God’s gift to all people, and the use we make of it entails a shared responsibility for all humanity, especially the poor and future generations”.

In this message posted on The Holy See website, Pope said: “Can we remain indifferent before the problems associated with such realities as climate change, desertification, the deterioration and loss of productivity in vast agricultural areas, the pollution of rivers and aquifers, the loss of biodiversity, the increase of natural catastrophes and the deforestation of equatorial and tropical regions?”

Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, said that to effectively curb environmental degradation and save the planet, religions of the world had to come together to form a joint global strategy.

He urged Pope to organize a world level environmental summit involving all world religions. (ANI)