Fwd: Envoy highlights Muslims` role in enhancing peace, understanding

[Moyez Kamani]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Ali Janmohamed <ali...@gosonic.ca>
Date: Sep 19, 2008 11:41 AM
Subject: Envoy highlights Muslims` role in enhancing peace, understanding
To: Ali Janmohamed <ali...@gosonic.ca>

Envoy highlights Muslims` role in enhancing peace, understanding

18 Sep 2008
By Correspondent Gadiosa Lamtey

British High Commissioner Philip Parham has said Muslim communities have an important role to play in promoting global peace and understanding.

Parham made the remarks in Dar es Salaam on Monday evening during an Iftar he hosted for various people at his residence as Muslims around the world observe the holy month of Ramadhan.

In his speech, a copy of which was released in Dar es Salaam yesterday, Parham said: ``I should thank our Muslim brothers and sisters, including the nearly two million British Muslims, for bringing us this reminder every Ramadhan.``

He said those who share belief in God also share belief in humanity.

``They all believe that each individual human being is an object of awe and love because God willed that individual into existence,`` said the envoy, adding:

``It is indeed a privilege for us that you have so generously agreed to share this beautiful custom during the holy month of Ramadhan.``

He said the Iftar tradition reminds one of dependence on God and dependence on one another.

``It illustrates the importance of each individual as a unique creation and a member of the community,`` said the envoy.

He said it was striking to think of hundreds of millions of Muslims, as the sunset rolls across the globe, all following the same ritual of prayer, community and peaceful celebration.

``This role is all the more powerful when played in collaboration with other believers. The new interfaith initiative of King Abdullah, custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, is a great example of this. Its two recent meetings in Jeddah and Madrid were very encouraging,`` he said.

``I have a small personal illustration of the way in which the culture and values of Islam and Christianity have been so closely intertwined.

Through Spanish ancestors and the Ummayad caliphs of Cordoba, I am descended directly from Qureysh, the patriarch of the family of the Prophet.

Qureysh is my 51-times great-grandfather. But in exactly the same line of ancestry, I am also descended from a Catholic saint, Elizabeth of Portugal,`` he said.

The Iftar was attended by ministers, prominent leaders from religious organisations, Parliament, government, business, diplomacy, civil society, and the media.

They included Acting Mufti Sheikh Suleiman Gorogosi, Defence Minister Dr. Hussein Mwinyi, Finance and Economic Affairs Minister Mustapha Mkulo, Education and Vocational Training Minister Prof. Jumanne Maghembe, Deputy Minister for Energy and Minerals Adam Malima, Inspector-General of Police Said Mwema and Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police Commander Suleiman Kova.

* SOURCE: Guardian

 

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Moyez ,
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