The first ever Interfaith Iftar Dinner was held at the Pakistan Consulate Birmingham

Birmingham: The first ever Interfaith Iftar Dinner was held at the Pakistan Consulate Birmingham to promote interfaith harmony, cordial relations and tolerance.

Consul General of Pakistan Birmingham Sardar Adnan Rasheed, Vice Consul General Bakhtawar Mir, Lord Mayor of Birmingham Councilor Maureen Cornish, Deputy Lord Lieutenant West Midlands Dr Nasir Awan MBE, Police and Crime Commissioner West Midlands Simon Foster, Religious Scholar Central Mosque Birmingham Imam Asad MBE and leading Christian, Jewish and Sikh religious leaders addressed the participants and conveyed a message of peace, love and unity.

The speakers said that differences can be reduced by knowing positively about each other only through consensus and harmony. In his remarks, the Consul General of Pakistan highlighted that mutual understanding and inter-religious dialogue constitutes important dimensions of a culture of peace as a way to promote harmony between all people regardless of their faith. The Lord Mayor of Birmingham highly appreciated this positive initiative of the Pakistan Consulate Birmingham.

Dignitaries from different religions observed Iftar together under one roof and enjoyed delicious Pakistani cuisine. On this occasion, prominent political, social, religious and business personalities from West Midlands, Deputy Lord Mayor of Birmingham Councilor Shafiq Hussain Shah, Dr. Andrew Smith, Bhai Sahib Mohinder Singh OBE, Councillor Majid Mahmood, Councilor Aftab Nawaz, Councillor Khizar Hussain, Councillor Waseem Zaffar, Amrick Singh Ubhi, Riffat Mughal, Sarwat Sohail, Ramesh Sharma QPM, Commander Royal Navy John Thacker ,Chief inspector West Midlands Police Imran Mirza and others specially participated.

The participants highlighted the shared values of community, hospitality, and compassion that are at the heart of all faiths. The distinguished faith leaders reflected upon the teachings of their respective faiths and the importance of interfaith dialogue. The participants also appreciated that events like this are an important opportunity for us to come together in a spirit of unity and respect.

At the end of the ceremony, Vice Consul General Bakhtawar Mir thanked the honored guests.

Report by S M Irfan Tahir Photojournalist / Member National Union of Journalists (NUJ) Great Britain.