Sikhs, Hindus in Pakistan host Iftar parties to promote religious harmony during Ramzan

Peshawar, June 3: This is the holy month of Ramzan and Muslims across the world are fasting. Sikhs and Hindus residing in Pakistan--an Islamic state--thought that this is the right time to promote religious harmony and tolerance in the country ravaged by terrorism and persecution of minorities (Hindus, Sikhs and Christians).

Thus is Peshawar--around 190-km away from the capital city of Islamabad--Sikhs and Hindus are hosting Iftar parties--offering mouth-watering dishes to their Muslim brethren as they break their dawn-to-dusk fast every evening.

A Sikh businessman, Sahib Singh, has set up a stall outside his medicine store at Aasia Gate in the city to offer sweet-drinks, 'lassi', and food to fasting Muslims.

"The objective behind distributing iftari (the sunset meal) items is to promote the concept of inter-faith harmony in our country," Singh told PTI.

A lot of needy people are visiting and enjoying Iftar meals at the food stall wich is open for all. A former councillor, Singh said he wanted to apprise Muslims that his community accorded full reverence to their religious rituals. "This is the spirit of interfaith harmony," he said.

Singh said he also wanted to tell the world that religious tolerance exists in Pakistan where people from different faiths and beliefs respect each other and accord reverence to religious festivals.

"The Hindu community has also decided to start the practice of bringing people of different faiths nearer to each other," Founding Member Council of Pakistan World of Religion, Haroon Sarbdial, said.

Sarbdial said Hindus are planning to hold iftari at different places in Peshawar and waiting for Maulana Qureshi, the Imam of the Masjid Mohabat Khan, who is in Saudi Arabia for performance of Umra, to arrive.

He said because of this spirit, people in this region reside together in harmony. The Hindu community has made iftari arrangements, like in Peshawar, for Muslims in Sindh province, Sarbdial said.

"This is the real face of Pakistan and its people who have great regard and reverence for each other, regardless of difference of faith and believes," he said.

OneIndia News