Lahore – An atmosphere of interreligious harmony characterized the meeting organized on 5 March in Lahore by Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora, Minister for Minorities in the provincial government of Punjab, to celebrate the breaking of the fast, the iftar, together.
“This interreligious Iftar brought together Christians and Muslims, who are experiencing a sacred time, Lent and Ramadan respectively. It was a great expression of harmony and respect between believers of different religions and also a moment to pray together for peace and reconciliation,” Dominican Father James Channan, director of the Peace Center in Lahore, told Fides. Father Channan was among those present, along with Archbishop Benny Travas and other leading religious figures, including Allama Raghab Naeemi, President of the Pakistani Council for Islamic Ideology, Mufti Adhiq Hussain, Badar Munir, as well as high-ranking civil authorities and representatives of the Sikh and Hindu communities.
“It was a valuable expression of dialogue in everyday life. It is moving to see how believers of different religions, especially Christians and Muslims, put the values of interreligious dialogue into practice in light of and in implementation of the conciliar document ‘Nostra Aetate,’” Father Channan told Fides. “We offered prayers for peace throughout the world, especially for the Middle East and for the tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan,” he emphasized.
“I wanted to emphasize that Lent and Ramadan are a time of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. These days remind us to be united with God and to seek his mercy and forgiveness, while also reconciling with our brothers and sisters,” the Dominican reported, noting that “these interreligious encounters offer wonderful opportunities to express mutual respect and support.” During the meeting, those present also recalled the words of Pope Leo and shared his commitment to peace: “We thank Pope Leo XIV for his deep concern for Pakistan and Afghanistan, as well as for the peoples suffering from violence in the Middle East. Pope Leo XIV calls on us to pray for peace, to open the doors of our churches wide, and to invoke the Almighty. We share his concern for world peace and pray with him,” concluded Father Channan.
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