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Islamabad: An inter-faith Iftar dinner was hosted by Ambassador Husain Haqqani at the Embassy of Pakistan. With a view to promote interfaith harmony, members of all faiths were invited to the event. In addition to a large number of Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and Jews also attended the Iftar dinner.
Also attending were members from all administrative sections of the US Government including the State Department, Department of Defence, Intelligence services etc, says a press release received here today from Washington DC.
Ambassador Haqqani in his address emphasized that Ramadan is a month that teaches tolerance and forgiveness and that through peaceful coexistence, man can achieve progress and development and learn to appreciate the true meaning of humanity.
He said, “The Government of Pakistan has taken numerous steps to foster a culture of inter-faith harmony”.
He said, President Asif Ali Zardari in his address on annual Minorities day last week reaffirmed the resolve to prevent misuse of any laws discriminating on the base of caste, creed or religion.
He said, in a resolve to promote interfaith harmony, a Ministry of Inter-faith Harmony is being established that will encourage dialogue and confidence building between religious scholars and practitioners of all faiths across the country.
Ambassador Haqqani was of the view that the current stereotype of Islam was an insult to the religion itself as well as to all serious minded citizens of the world who should know better than to accept at face value whatever portrait they are given of the religion.
He said that problems relating to discrimination either on grounds of race or religion are prevalent in all parts of the world and it would require an interfaith effort to eradicate them.
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