Sri Lankans meet for Iftar in Dubai to promote peace

The Consulate-General of Sri Lanka in Dubai and the Northern Emirates hosted an inter-faith Iftar on Thursday evening at its premises in Dubai. Various religious heads came together in a show of solidarity held in the wake of communal tensions among people of different faiths after the Easter bombings in the country.
Over 200 Sri Lankans from different faiths attended the event titled 'An evening of friendship, caring and sharing the true spirit of the holy month of Ramadan' that began at 5.30pm with the arrival of religious dignitaries - Buddhist, Hindu, Christian and Muslim. After the recitation from the Holy Quran, the audience observed one-minute silence for the victims, their families and members of armed forces who sacrificed their lives to protect the fellow Sri Lankans, in the Easter Day tragedy that took place in Sri Lanka on April 21.
The attendees then sang the national anthems of both the UAE and Sri Lanka before being addressed by the Consular-General of Sri Lanka Charitha Yattogoda and Charge d'Affaires of Sri Lankan Embassy in Abu Dhabi, Ahamed L.S. Khan.
"I am happy to see clergies of different faith and representatives of the entire Sri Lankan community here. Such events of bringing people of different faiths together will help people understand and familiarise with traditions and practices of different communities, especially for the new generation that is not much interested or familiar with their own culture," Khan said.
He added that the UAE is a country that promotes coexistence and is exemplary in promoting world peace and creating a society of tolerance. "Being an expatriate community from a country with multiple ethnic groups, we have a lot to learn from the UAE about coexistence and mutual respect. We are blessed to live in such a country and we are in the best position to build reconciliation among different communities of Sri Lanka. We also must use social media responsibly and spread the message of tolerance among our Sri Lankans back home and educate them on how progressive nations are using technology for the advancement of humanity."
His speech was followed by speeches from religious dignitaries who spoke on how all religions talk about peace and religious harmony and not violence. Islamic preacher Sheikh Amher Hakamuddeen, who flew from Sri Lanka for the Iftar, answered questions from non-Muslim Sri Lankan expats about Islam and its concepts and guidelines.
Yattogoda said: "Our aim with this event was to let our people know that there are no divisions between one another and today we came together to show solidarity and pass blessings on our motherland. Majority of our country people are peace lovers and we need to carry this spirit forward."
One of the attendees, Anosh Ahamath, a PR and communications professional, said:
"We are all peace-loving people promoting tolerance and respect for one another. I am happy to see that people of all faiths have joined us for Iftar. The recent incidents back home remind us that we should never give up on promoting cultural understanding and creating awareness about the importance of peaceful coexistence of all religions within a united Sri Lanka. It is heartening to note that our consul-general is at the forefront of efforts to further strengthen bonds between Sri Lankans of different ethnicities and religions in the UAE."
saman@khaleejtimes.com