Indians convene in Abu Dhabi for interfaith iftar
The annual iftar is a reminder of the tolerance shared by Indians: Navdeep Singh Suri
Dubai: From turban-wearing Sikhs to sari-clad Keralites, a mini-India converged at the annual iftar of the Indian Social and Cultural Centre in Abu Dhabi last week.
India’s ambassador to the UAE, Navdeep Singh Suri, said of the mood of the multi-faith and multilingual evening that “Indians have it in their DNA to celebrate and respect the faith and culture of one another”.
A crowd gathered around the iftar table, waiting patiently for the evening prayer call to break the fast.
“I grew up in a culture where we celebrate every festival, from [the Hindu] Diwali and Navaratri to [the Muslim] Eid and [Christian] Christmas. As a young boy, I looked forward to all these festivals with great excitement. This is part of our tradition,” he said.
“The presence of large numbers of both fasting and non-fasting people in the audience highlights not only the spirit of Ramadan, but also the spirit of India.”
The ongoing celebrations surrounding the Year of Tolerance in the UAE provided a perfect backdrop for the evening’s deliberations. “Nobody in the world epitomises the value of tolerance better than Indians do,” Mr Suri said.
“It comes very naturally to them. India is a land that has hosted followers of every religion in the world besides giving birth to four major religions.”
Mr Suri believes Indians have an inherently pluralistic worldview and could contribute greatly to the UAE's march towards becoming a modern nation that celebrates diversity.
“For me personally, the visit of the Pope to the UAE was of great significance. The signing of the Human Fraternity Document by the Pope and the Grand Imam of Al Azhar is also a powerful example to the world.”
The Indian ambassador also hailed the UAE's leadership for facilitating the construction of the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi.
“The country’s commitment to the values of tolerance and harmony is manifested in the speedy construction of the Hindu temple,” he said.
Mr D Natarajan, president of the Indian Social and Cultural Centre, emphasised the need to follow the values of fraternity, equality and tolerance, which, according to him, are central to the Islamic faith.
“The five pillars of Islam – Shahada, salah, fasting, zakat and Hajj – are prescribed by God to inculcate a strong sense of equality and brotherhood among Muslims. There is no special preference given during the obligatory prayer to anyone based on his social or economic status. Anyone who comes late, even if he is the ruler of the country, will have to stand in the last row in the mosque,” he said.
Mr Suri also inaugurated the sixth Quran recitation competition, which will conclude with a prize distribution ceremony on May 24.
courtesy: thenational.ae
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Main accused in Delhi Police constable murder shot dead in Sangam Vihar
New Delhi (PTI): A day after the fatal stabbing of a Delhi Police constable, the main accused in the case was shot dead in an encounter with the personnel of the force in south Delhi's Sangam Vihar area, officials said on Sunday.
Constable Kiran Pal was stabbed to death by three people on Saturday while on night patrolling duty in southeast Delhi's Govindpuri area. Two accused -- Deepak Max and Krish Gupta -- were arrested later in that day.
The third accused, Raghav -- who stabbed Pal with a knife -- was hiding in Sangam Vihar, a senior police officer of Special Cell said.
Acting on specific information, teams of NDR of Special Cell and Narcotics Cell of South East District, went to the area connecting Sangam Vihar and Surajkund Road late on Saturday night, the officer said.
The accused was identified and asked to surrender. He, however, opened fire at the police personnel who retaliated in self-defence and injured the accused.
"He was immediately taken to the ESIC Hospital, Okhla, where he died," the officer said.
A pistol with two cartridges have been seized, the police officer said, adding no police official was injured in the encounter.
Constable Kiran Pal, posted at Govindpuri Police Station, was on night patrolling duty when he stopped three people riding a scooty in the early hours of Saturday.
The accused threw stones at the constable to evade arrest but he managed to waylay them by putting his bike in front of their vehicle, the officer said.
The constable also took away the keys of the scooty and started questioning the trio during which the accused stabbed him, the officer added.
