KOLKATA: On Sunday, representatives of various religious communities met to observe Eid al-Adha as a mark of inter-religious harmony and brotherhood.
Rev Thomas D’Souza, Archbishop of Calcutta; Satnam Singh Ahluwalia, chairman of IHA Foundation; and others extended their greetings to Maulana Qari Fazlur Rahman, Imam-e-Eidain Senior Imam of Bengal.
Speaking about the interfaith ethos of the gathering, Rahman said, “The purpose of this exchange of greetings is to reinforce trust between diverse groups and to strengthen the unity and understanding among all religions and faiths, something that is relevant and necessary.”
“Understanding each oth-er’s religious festivals enables us to build on mutual understanding, coexistence and respect for human dignity, through which we can achieve many miracles in society. After all, we need to understand that religious disharmony and disruption is made by man for his own purposes and not by any super powers we may believe in,” said D’Souza.
Ahluwalia explained that although the gathering was kept small due to the rising Covid cases, members of different religions felt the need to exchange greetings and share sweets. “Peaceful dialogue between people of different faiths will save humanity from tumbling into ignorance, concern and confrontation with each other. As a society, it has become essential that we understand each other’s religions,” he said.
