Muslim Council of Elders Organizes Interfaith Iftar for Religious Leaders in Pakistan
The Muslim Council of Elders organized a communal Iftar for religious leaders and figures in Pakistan, attended by a large number of prominent leaders and representatives from various faiths, as well as ministers, officials, and academics. The initiative comes as part of the Council’s mission to promote the values of dialogue, peaceful coexistence, and human fraternity.
Now in its second consecutive year, the Iftar gathering witnessed the participation of distinguished figures, including His Excellency Mr. Makhdoom Zada, Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province; Mr. Noor-ul-Haq Qadri, former Federal Minister for Religious Affairs; Rt. Reverend Nadeem Kamran, General Bishop of the Evangelical Church in Pakistan; Ayatollah Javed Iqbal, a prominent Shia scholar; Dr. Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, Secretary General of the Islamic Research Institute; Mr. Haroon Sarab Diyal, Hindu leader and President of the Pakistan World Religion Foundation; Dr. Qibla Ayaz, former Chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology; and Professor Dr. Kalyan Singh, a Sikh academic. The event also welcomed representatives of religious minorities such as Arun Kumar, Coordinator of the Hindu Council; Sardar Ranjit Singh, former member of the local parliament; and Christopher Sharaf, Coordinator of the Saiban Pakistan program for Christian minorities.
Among the attendees were also a number of prominent academics, including Dr. Rashid Ahmad, Director of the Sheikh Zayed Islamic Centre in Peshawar; and Dr. Muhammad Abdullah, Director of the Sheikh Zayed Centre at the University of Lahore. The event drew university presidents, cultural and media figures, and representatives from the ministries of endowments, religious affairs, environment, and education, as well as youth representatives from various religions and international organizations operating in Pakistan.
The attendees extended their congratulations to the Muslim Council of Elders, under the chairmanship of His Eminence Prof. Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, on the occasion of the Council’s 11th anniversary. They praised the Council’s efforts in promoting the values of tolerance, coexistence, and peace, highlighting the importance of instilling these values in future generations to build bridges of communication between followers of different faiths. Dr. Kalyan Singh commended the Council’s role in fostering interfaith harmony and addressing global humanitarian challenges, while Rt. Reverend Nadeem Kamran and Mr. Haroon Diyal praised the Council’s contributions in Pakistan. Ayatollah Javed Hussain highlighted the success of the first Intra-Islamic Dialogue Conference, co-organized by the Council and hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain in February, while Dr. Zia-ul-Haq affirmed the Council’s tangible impact on the global stage through its efforts at international forums.
This gathering reaffirms the Muslim Council of Elders’ commitment to fostering interfaith dialogue and mutual understanding. It is part of a broader series of initiatives by the Council aimed at establishing global peace through dialogue and cooperation among followers of different religions and cultures.