RUZAIK FAROOK
COLOMBO : Sri Lanka is for the first time in its history hosting ‘ Salam Ramadan’ – a Cultural Festival under state patronage.
The event inaugurated on Friday, March 21, during the last ten evenings and nights of Ramadan with an illuminated atmosphere sees its peak from 21 to 23 in Colombo’s plush Green Path precinct where there will be a hybrid festival of food, culture and tradition with the participation of all four major Muslim groups, Moors, Malays, Memons and Bohras.
The initiative had its humble origins in a concept paper floated by Journalist Asiff Hussein and circulated among the country’s business community which was picked up by the Governor of the Western Province Hanif Yusoof . Governor Yusoof conceptualized it as a wider national event in keeping with the vision of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to give more priority to all religious festivities and appointed a task force led by businessman Rizan Naseer to strategize and implement the program.
The Salam Ramadan Program that now comes under the Office of the Governor of the Western Province aims at making the Ramadan season a truly national and inclusive one by fostering a festive atmosphere, greater community participation and interfaith engagement, similar to how religious and cultural festivals of other communities in Sri Lanka like Vesak and Christmas are celebrated in the country.
The flagship event at Green Path features a variety of items from sizzling street eats to handcrafted wonders so that people of all communities could immerse themselves in the magic of the season. It also features interfaith engagement in the form of cultural experiences like traditional foods, calligraphy stalls and much more.
The CIS Harmony Center stall for example featuresk a colourful poster walkthrough of Islamic Culture, open up for Q & A on faith related matters, have a traditional headdress and attire corner where one can try on traditional Moorish and Arabian headdresses including Palestinian keffiyehs and pose for pictures and a Calligraphy Corner where visitors can get their names inscribed in beautiful Arabic Script on golden board for a modest fee,
Governor of the Western Province Hanif Yoosuf was present as chief guest at the opening ceremony. Buddhist, Hindu, Christian and Islam Religious Leaders, Ramadan Task Force Chairman Rizan Nazeer, Deputy Chairman Aman Ashraff, who compered the programme, and members were also present.
