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Religious leaders in Indianapolis present peace pole

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INDIANAPOLIS — It was a call for peace in response to recent shootings and bombings that have happened at houses of worship around the world, including Sri Lanka.

Religious leaders representing different faiths dedicated a peace pole Friday outside a mosque on Cold Springs Road on Indianapolis' northwest side.

The peace pole features the phrase, "May peace prevail on earth" in four different languages: English, Arabic, French and Spanish.

Friday's dedication serves as a show of solidarity among those who strive for peace, no matter their religious following.

"I think in the envrionment that we live in, there seems to be growing violence, especially religious violence around the world, as we've seen in Sri Lanka and New Zealand and other palces around. I think we just need to come out very publically and say, 'This is not what our faiths believe and this is not something we can tolerate.'"

Two peace poles were created and blessed at a Christian-Muslim unity prayer service in December. The other pole will be dedicated next month outside Saint Phillip Neri Catholic Church on the city's east side.