IMA-Kuwait hosts inter-faith Iftar get-together

Kuwait: ‘Unity in diversity is the strength for us Indians and India…” thought expressed by Sunil Jain, the Indian Ambassador to Kuwait. He was addressing a gathering of Indian expats from different faiths and walks at an Iftar party organized by Indian Muslim Association – Kuwait.

Fahaheel and Abu-Halifa Units of Indian Muslim Association (IMA-Kuwait) organized an Interfaith Iftar Party at Saad MutlaqIsbiyae Auditorium, Fintas, inviting people from various faiths to foster friendship. Sunil Jain and Abdul Aziz Al-Duaij, Manager IT - KNPC were present as chief guests.

Sunil Jain said, “We celebrate diversity and our motto is unity in diversity”. He said that Ramadan is to make us free from ego, lust and to feel the hunger of poor, which is the ultimate means of understanding the hardship of poor people in real life. Moreover, he insisted that we should keep away from those, who tend to divide us on the name of religion, Quoting Gandhiji “Ishwar Allah Tere Naam, Sabko Sanmarti De Bhagwaan”.

Abdul Aziz Al-Duaij emphasised that Ramadan is to energize the soul, and to work for being a good human being to others.
Other eminent personalities on the dais includesDr.AbhayPatwari; President, Indian Doctors forum, Venkata SivaRao, President Telagu Kala Sanmati&Jeyakumar, President - Tamilnad Engineers Forum.GS Reddy and Satish Chandra Shetty were also present on the dais. They appreciate the initiatives taken by IMA.

HasanTaha, an Islamic scholar delivered a lecture on the subject, ‘The Message of Ramadan’. He stated that Islam give us freedom of selection. He quoted from Qur’an ‘There shall be no compulsion in Religion’. He highlighted the highest moral character exhibited by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), that he was the man with highest moral character.

Sharafuddin Soofi, an academic counsellor and media personality delivered a talk on ‘Religious Harmony: Need of the Hour’. He emphasised the respect ordained by the Holy Quran for the humanitarian values. He highlighted the importance of harmony. He said thatatomic particles to the celestial bodies in universe are in perfect harmony with each other.

He quoted from the holy Quran “O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you”.

He stressed the eradicationof newly emerged evil of ‘Intellectual - Untouchability’ in our society. Various Communities should come closer and understandeach other. The lame way of trying to know others by simply looking into the behaviour of has led into many misconceptions and fears. He ended his speech by the couplet of Iqbal “ Mazhab Nahi Sikhata Aapas Me Bair Rakhna, Hindi Hai Hum WatanHai Hindustan Hamara…”

A brief introduction about IMA’s objectives and activities was given by ParvezHanif. Where he highlighted IMA’s services rendered to Indian community by conducting several social activities. This is in the form of educational workshops, relief funds, awareness campaigns and the like.

The program was followed by an open Question & Answer session and got concluded with a delicious buffet dinner. The Program was started with the recitation of Holy Qur’an. Parvez Hanif convened the program. IMA General Secretary Arshad Habeeb was present on the dais. Mansour gave vote of thanks. Around four hundred people attended the event.