‘Ramadan is of great importance to Sri Lanka’

Sri Lankan Ambassador Vadivel Krishnamoorthy hosted an iftar gathering at the embassy premises on Saturday in a show of religious tolerance.
Krishnamoorthy said that the month of fasting brings people closer to one another and is a form of personal sacrifice.
Speaking at the inter-community iftar party, Krishnamoorthy said, “The noble values of reconciliation and peace, which are at the heart of the Islamic tradition, need to be shared and celebrated. I am very happy to continue the tradition of hosting an iftar in the embassy to share our sense of unity and religious harmony with our friends and families.
“Ramadan is of great importance to us in Sri Lanka. The Muslim community in Sri Lanka and all other communities strive to reinforce their efforts toward working for peace and harmony in this holy time of the year.”
The ambassador said, “I have seen the spirit of Ramadan in my embassy staff who work very hard and sacrifice time with their families to help in the legalization process of illegal workers in the Kingdom.”
He also took the occasion to remind community members to take advantage of the amnesty extension provided by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to rectify their status.
In his sermon, Abdullah Al-Masari, imam of the local Sheikh Khalid Al-Ruki Mosque, said, “Ramadan is a month of forgiveness and blessings from God Almighty; Muslims should not miss this great opportunity to absolve their sins and extend a helping hand to less fortunate in the community.”
Some 300 men, women and children from the Sri Lankan community and embassy officials and their family members attended the cross-section iftar gathering, which began with the recitation of the Holy Qur’an and sermons on Islamic values.
The Sri Lankan business community in the Kingdom also attended the iftar.
Islam in Sri Lanka is practiced by a minority group, constituing 9.72 percent of the population of Sri Lanka as per the census of 2012.