Sharing the faith

REPRESENTATIVES of various religions invite the public to come together on Monday evening to celebrate the breaking of the day’s fast with the tropical fruit associated with the celebration.

This week, representatives of Durban’s three main religions met in Paddy Kearney Way, outside the Denis Hurley Centre, ahead the Interfaith Iftar where the public may hear the “adhan” (call to prayer) from the nearby Juma Masjid (also known as the Grey Street Mosque) and break the fast together next week.

Dates and “zam zam” water is the meal of choice.

“It’s what the Prophet Muhammad did when breaking the fast,” said AV Mohamed, chief trustee at the Masjid.

Centre director Raymond Perrier welcomed the choice of food.

“If you’ve not been eating all day, you don’t want to dive into something heavy.”

Mohamed said it was appropriate to share the auspicious event with people from other faiths.

“The Qur’an states that there should be respect and dignity for all and that the Prophet Muhammad was sent for all humanity.”

Mohamed is a patron of the Denis Hurley Centre and founder of its feeding scheme.

Father Sabelo Mkhize, administrator of the Emmanuel Roman Catholic Cathedral and a trustee of the centre, said the church and centre’s proximity to the mosque “gives me that strong sense of the other, which is so much among us and an expression of our own lives, that dependence on a higher being than ourselves”.

He said the call to prayer reminded him, too, to say his prayers.

Representing the Hindu religion at the get-together is Prema Viranna who, along with a group of Hindu women from uMhlanga, volunteer at a feeding scheme.

“Today is the first time we’ve come since the start of Covid-19,” she said on Thursday, adding that it was the Hindu belief to “help ever, hurt never and love all, serve all”.

Monday’s event is scheduled for 4.45pm. Parking is available behind Emmanuel Cathedral.