KARACHI, Nov 21: City Nazim Naimatullah Khan said on Friday that combining globalization and religious harmony can go a long way towards eradication of hatred, alleviation of poverty, equitable resource distribution and making the world a safer place to live.

“We the people of religions should be in the forefront of the movement for a moral and spiritual reformation of the world,” the city Nazim said while speaking at an Iftar-dinner hosted by him for members of Karachi-based foreign diplomats at a hotel.

The Nazim’s Iftar-Dinner was attended, among others, by Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan.

The guests included the Consul Generals of USA, Britain, China, Japan, France, Afghanistan, Austria, Bangladesh, Czech Republic, Germany, Iran, Italy, Indonesia, DPR Korea, besides honorary consuls of a number of countries.

Mr Khan said peace and justice for all people, human rights, protection of families, protection of environment, and elimination of weapons of mass destruction from the world should be among our priorities.

Stressing the need for an inter-religion dialogue for peace, the Nazim said: “Let us talk about building bridges between the civilizations; Let us preserve and develop peace, justice and tolerance in our families, in our neighbourhoods, in the places of work, among the people we know as well as those we do not know.”

The Nazim pointed out that today he had invited the diplomats on a very auspicious day - the last Friday of the holy month of Ramazan- which was a special month for the Muslims throughout the world.

This was a month for introvert reflection, devotion to God and self-control, he said, adding the Muslims thought of it as a kind of tune-up for their spiritual lives. The Nazim said fasting in Ramazan was a way of experiencing hunger and developing sympathy for the less fortunate, and learning thankfulness and appreciation for God’s bounties.

The US Consul General, speaking on the occasion, said the holy month provided us an opportunity to reflect on the special values of Ramazan- peace, tolerance, a spirit of humanity, and patience.

He said Eidul Fitr was a time to bring families together; a time for thanksgiving, a time to count our blessings and enjoy the presence of loved ones.

He said religious diversity continued to expand and existed as a positive force in the lives of Americans. Today, Islam had become our fastest growing religion and was quickly becoming a part of the American religious landscape.

As other faiths have contributed to the development of the United States, Islam too was having an impact with its message of peace, justice, and compassion.—APP