The Catholic Commission for Interreligious Dialogue and Ecumenism (CCIDE), led by Mgr. Benny Mario Travas and Fr. Shakeel Gulzar, organized a “Sabeel” for the Dawoodi Bohra community during the Ashura festival in Karachi, Pakistan.
This day marks when Allah saved the prophet Musa (or Moses), who observed a two-day fast akin to the Jewish Yom Kippur. For Shiites, it also signifies the commemoration of the martyrdom of Imam al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī and his 72 followers by the Umayyad caliph Yazid I.
This massacre occurred on the tenth day of Muharram in the year 40 of the Hegira. The ensuing mourning period, significant for this minority sect of Islam, lasts 40 days.
Annually, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims travel to the city of Kerbala in Iraq, where the tombs of the Imam and his followers are situated, to honor this period of mourning.
“[Sabeel is] a gesture of unity in diversity. It shows that although we belong to different faiths and religions, we are ‘one’ in our common belonging to human nature and under the Pakistani flag,” said Fr. Shakeel Gulzar, director of CCIDE, in a report by AsiaNews.
The priest further noted that Muharram is a period for Shiites to reflect, mourn, and experience solidarity with God, and through their Sabeel, they have demonstrated their support.
Fr. Shakeel Gulzar, director of CCIDE, explained that the “Sabeel” is “a gesture of unity in diversity. It shows – he continued – that although we belong to different faiths and religions, we are ‘one’ in our common belonging to human nature and under the Pakistani flag”.
Observers and activists praised the initiative, highlighting it as a significant gesture of unity by Christians in a region often marked by ethnic and confessional violence.
Kashif Anthony, the CCIDE coordinator, along with Fr. Amir Bhatti, Fr. Sunil Sarfraz, Sister Fazilat, and Samantha Rodrigues, president of the Catholic Women’s Guild, initiated the “Sabeel.”
Kashif commended the participants for their cooperation, noting that many expressed their gratitude to the Catholic community of St. Patrick for this act of kindness during Ashura.
Rwadari Tehreek Pakistan’s annual interfaith caravan recently arrived at Karabla Gamay Shah, one of Lahore’s oldest Imam Bargahs (ritual halls).
This timing during the month of Muharram is deliberate, intended to foster closeness and promote peace amidst the sectarian tensions that have plagued the nation for years.
The caravan is a key component of Rwadari Tehreek’s Muharram peace campaign, which includes social media efforts and other activities designed to encourage citizens to combat sectarian hate speech and foster harmony.
The campaign also calls on the government, state institutions, and other stakeholders to maintain vigilance and enforce a zero-tolerance policy against hate speech and violence incitement.
At the interfaith gathering, Rwadari Tehreek Chairman Samson Salamat highlighted the importance of maintaining a peaceful and tension-free environment as a priority.
He stressed the need for all individuals and stakeholders to diligently fulfill their responsibilities.
The speakers at the event collectively urged the government and relevant institutions to enforce a strict zero-tolerance policy towards hate speech and sectarian violence.
They emphasized that ensuring robust security for all religious gatherings and processions during the 10th of Muharram is crucial for the nation’s prosperity and peace.
