By Asim Shehazd
LAHORE: World Interfaith Harmony Week, a celebration which has taken place every February for the last 15 years.
Mr ben warrington head of lahore british high commission said that
The purpose of this global milestone, endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly, is to celebrate the power of faith – to bridge divides, promote dialogue and inspire a more compassionate, peaceful world.
Faith provides strength, guidance and purpose to billions of individuals. And the common values that we all hold far outweigh the differences. This platform includes all people of goodwill. It includes those of all faiths, and those with no faith
Just as importantly, we are also here to celebrate the wonderful diversity of religions and faiths that we have in Punjab and Pakistan.
In just three weeks time, many of you will be commencing Ramadan. An opportunity to remind ourselves of the values of patience, tolerance and generosity of spirit.
Next month, Pakistani Hindus will be celebrating Holi, a festival of sharing and love.
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In April, many of our Christian friends will be celebrating Easter just as the Sikh community will be marking Vhey-SAA-khee.
And in May, the Chitral valley will be lit by the colours of the Chill-uhm Joe-shee festival of the Kalash community.
Sadly however, around the world, minority communities are still too often facing a range of injustices – discrimination, violence, and economic exclusion
Freedom of religion or belief is an important part of this, and we are offering targeted support through our Aawaz programme right here in Punjab. This brings together influential community and faith leaders and minority representatives, to resolve local issues and change behaviours. I want to pay testament to all of those involved in that on-going work.
We are also prioritising minorities within our wider education and health programmes, and engaging directly with Government counterparts on specific issues
Events such as today ultimately fill me with hope. I see so many leaders and advocates in this room, committed to promoting interfaith harmony across all walks of life – be that religious representatives, universities, civil society, or business.
I hope today’s event can be a small step towards building that deeper understanding – forming new friendships and sharing experiences. Who knows, perhaps in 12 months’ time I will be standing on this stage, describing a wonderful transformative project that was created right here in this room.
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