As Ramzan month rolls in, food and thoughts are shared at inter-faith iftar | Mumbai News

MUMBAI: With the holy month of Ramzan beginning, Sufi shrine Mahim dargah hosted an inter-faith iftar this past week. The dinner saw faith leaders from different communities bonding over food and sharing thoughts.
“The month of Ramzan is a time to spread peace and happiness. We already have a group called World Interfaith Harmony and Unity Mission (WIHUM) which we formed a couple of years ago to promote inter-religious tolerance. I am glad leaders from different faiths accepted my invitation and we exchanged views,” said Sohail Khandwani, managing trustee of Mahim and Haji Ali dargahs.
Khandwani said the message of love, peace and tolerance given by Sufi saints is at the core of values prescribed by all religions.
Ven Ajahn Prasheel Ratna Gautam, a Buddhist leader and president of Sanghakaya Foundation l, hailed the gesture. “This is a fine way to reach out to people of different faiths. We may follow different faiths but we all are bound by humanity. Today, when our society is getting divided in the name of caste and religion, we need such efforts more than ever,” Gautam said.
Sabir Syed, director, operations (Mahim dargah) and WIHUM member, said the shrine has always supported the cause of peace. “Being an old and famous Sufi shrine, it is our moral duty to try and bring faith leaders on a platform. Ramzan is a month to seek blessings, and while we discussed how to remove misunderstanding and promote peace, we also broke bread together,” he said.
“A lot of conflicts happen because we do not know one another. Lack of communication leads to misconception and misunderstanding. This initiative removes that misunderstanding and we hope such events bring us closer,” Syed added.
Writer Gorakhh Bobade welcomed the idea of iftar. “Unity in diversity is what we, in India, have followed for centuries. When we eat together, we also share our thoughts and get many misunderstandings removed,” he said.
Shabbir Bhopalwala, PRO at Dawat-e-Hadiyah, the administration of Bohra spiritual head Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, urged the community leaders to spread the message of peace and co-existence. He also dwelt upon a project to upgrade the lives of Dawoodi Bohras that has been started with the blessings of the Syedna. Volunteers visit Bohra homes to understand their needs such as infrastucture development, health, education issues, etc, and help fulfil them. “Syedna sahab has always emphasised the need to reach out to those in the community who are financially weak. Such families are given interest-free loans to start their businesses,” said Bhopalwala.