Ramadan 2014
A month of spiritual solidarity
One year after the establishment of our first Peace Centre in the North of Lebanon, we are entering again the Holy Month of Ramadan: a special time for the about 1.6 billion Muslims in the world and a special time for the millions of Syrians who had to flee their homes. For us, it is also the time to bring together different religions and beliefs in a genuine expression of spiritual solidarity. We started the second edition of our special programme “Ramadan Volunteers”, which is bringing short-term volunteers from around the world to our Peace Centre. Throughout the summer, they are helping us in our response to the educational emergency of Syrian refugees in Lebanon. They are giving international solidarity a human face.
This year, we hold our main Peace Iftar inside the biggest refugee camp we serve. A group of French boy scouts, who were visiting Lebanon in solidarity with Syrian refugees, joined our international volunteers and local staff members for some children animation just before Iftar time at sunset. We bought the food and payed the men and women of the camp to prepare it, hosting more than 150 refugees and guests. Amongst them, two priests and Sheikh Muhammad Nokkari, the secretary general of Lebanon’s Dar al-Fatwa, the highest Sunni council in the country. Around this table, Christians of all confessions were united with Sunni, Shiite and Alawite Muslims in a sign of solidarity and reconciliation.
We ended the day with a good argileh and some serious conversations about perspectives for Syria and the fight against extremism.