Ramadan in UAE: Religious, political leaders from different faiths break fast under one roof

Consuls from many missions, religious heads, and other guests made their way to the Address Hotel for a sumptuous Iftar, organised by Al Manar Islamic Centre.

The purpose of organising the Iftar was to reach out to people from different faiths and help them learn more about the holy month of Ramadan.

Religious heads from the Hindu temple, Guru Nanak Darbar Gurudwara, Churches, and heads of various other faiths along with the consular heads of the UK, USA, India, Pakistan, Korea, Japan, Russia, and Canada attended the enlightening session just before breaking the fast.

Meghan Gregonis, Consul General of United States, came along with the deputy consul and said that she was very pleased to attend and participate in the interfaith Iftar. “Al Manar centre brought so many religious communities together under a single roof, helping us understand religions better. It was great to learn from the Islamic scholars who shared their wisdom.”

“Religious freedom and interfaith dialogue are very important, and the United States was founded on religious freedom. The first diplomat Iftar gathering in America was held at the White House nearly 200 years ago,” said Gregonis.

Young-joon Choi, Deputy Consul General of the Republic of Korea said that he learned many facts about Islam and Ramadan. “I had a wonderful time learning a lot. I did not know about the origin and true meaning of Ramadan. I realized what the month really means and it was a huge fulfilling moment. It was great socialising with the other diplomats,” said Choi.

Rahimullah Khan, Deputy Consul, of the Pakistan consulate said that such events are necessary to bring about interfaith harmony. “We are in need of such events to understand religions better, considering the problems around the world. Such events make people come together and understand religions. The message of the holy month was very clear,” said Khan.

Most people who came for the get-together went back with fewer misunderstandings. It’s always a unique experience for me and it was a great learning experience, said Mohsin Bin Ahmed from Al Manar Centre.

“Knowing the goodness in every human being is the biggest benefit of such inter-faith events," said Bin Ahmed.

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• Ramadan 2023
• UAE