Rev. Asif Sardar, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Lahore, participated recently in an interreligious prayer event at the Badshahi Mosque, Lahore’s historic royal mosque.
On March 2, he told Fides.org that the gathering included an iftar, the meal that Muslims use to break their fast. "In this difficult time marked by war that directly affects us, we want to reaffirm our spiritual communion and our shared commitment to peace," he said. There is currently violence and war at the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
According to VaticanNews.va, the Vicar General described the event as a "dream" because he was able to witness interreligious harmony and peace between the two communities.
During the meeting, Fr. James Channan, a Dominican and the head of the Peace Center in Lahore, shared a commitment with Abdul Khabir Azad, the imam of the mosque, to "deepen the roots of relations between Christians and Muslims in Pakistan." They also agreed to "live the shared values of fasting, reflection, and sacrifice present in both Ramadan and Lent" and to "pray for peace, raising our prayers together to God for the stability of Pakistan and the end of global conflicts."
"This meeting is a concrete example of mutual respect. We have sent a clear message that faith can be a bridge of unity, not a wall of division,” Fr. Channan said.
Picture: Fides, #newsYuhqzaoejy