Page 7 - Seniors Today -Volume no1

Spotlight
Fast Forward
The UAE’s only Gurudwara shows the way to integration
and harmony, by hosting iftar on each day of Ramadan
this year
A sip of water, a date. That’s how iftar, the
traditional breaking of the fast during the holy
month of Ramzan (Ramadan), is heralded. In
Dubai this year, that simple act was taken to an
even more sublime level by the Guru Nanak
Darbar Gurudwara, the only Gurudwara in
the UAE.
Gurudwaras, the places of worship for the
Sikh community, are well known for hosting
langars, or community meals, where anyone is
welcome to eat. The Gurudwara in Dubai has
been holding iftar every year in the month of
Ramadan, since the last six years, but this year
took it up a notch, by holding iftar
on all the days of Ramadan. Some
5000 people from all faiths, mainly
Muslim, attend the iftar regularly
over the period of Ramadan.
This year, 2019, being the “Year
of Tolerance”, Gurudwara Guru
Nanak Darbar Dubai decided to
host Iftar every single day during Surender Singh Kandhari service to humanity through such ini-
the holy month of Ramadan. The year 2019
also marks the 550th birth anniversary of
Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of Sikhism
and the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. Among
his many teachings are humility and respect
to all of humanity. Sitting and eating together
- regardless of social status or religious belief
- is a tradition that emphasises equality and
acceptance, says chairman of the Gurudwara,
Surender Singh Kandhari.
For the Muslim workers in the Jebel area,
where the Gurudwara is situated, there are not
a lot of places where they can break their fast,
so the Gurudwara had announced that this
year it would offer iftar meals to workers every
day during Ramadan.
However, the gesture was so well received that
Bonding with the Community
people from all walks of life visited the Gurud-
wara for iftar. After all, the Gurudwara is not
only a place of worship for the Sikhs, but also a
community centre where people from all reli-
gions, communities and castes are welcome, any
day.
Moreover, during Ramadan the Gurudwara
becomes a place of tolerance wherein Muslims
and non-Muslims are able to practice their faith
– in this way, it embraces the value of tolerance
by sharing a meal not only with people from the
Sikh congregation but with people from differ-
ent faiths as well, says Mr Kandhari.
“We are indeed most fortunate that
we are in the UAE that not only val-
ues harmonious coexistence but also
upholds these values to be sustained
and echoed to the rest of the world.
Guru Nanak Darbar Gurudwara will
be spreading Guru Nanak’s message
of universal brotherhood, peace and
tiatives every year.”
With food served at the langar being vegetar-
ian, was there any issue about this, consid-
ering that part of the traditional iftar spread
includes meat? Mr Kandhari, who is the UAE’s
Inter-Faith Ambassador, emphasises that the
iftar served by them was an “Inter-faith Iftar”,
a perfect melange for the UAE’s melting pot of
religions – and hence, it did not matter whether
it was a vegetarian meal or a non-vegetarian one.
The food is prepared according to the highest
industry standards, and hygiene levels are main-
tained and checked periodically. Ingredients
are donated by members of the community, and
when there are leftovers, volunteers make ar-
rangements to distribute them among workers
living in the city. Truly, a community bonding
experience.
SENIORS TODAY | Volume 1 | Issue 1