Catholics stand in solidarity with Shiites for Ashura

The Commission for Interfaith Dialogue and Ecumenism (Ccide) has organised a “Sabeel” for the Dawoodi Bohra Muslim community. The events included a “walk” around the cathedral area and distribution of cold drinks to break the fast. The annual interfaith caravan of the Rwadari Tehreek Pakistan arrived at Karabla Gamay Shah.

Karachi () – An initiative marked by dialogue and encounter between minorities, often victims of abuse and persecution. The Catholic Commission for Interreligious Dialogue and Ecumenism (Ccide), headed by Mgr. Benny Mario Travas and Father Shakeel Gulzar, has promoted a “Sabeel” for the Dawoodi Bohra community – of Shiite tradition – on the occasion of the 10th of Muharram, or Ashura festival. This is the day on which Allah saves the prophet Musa (or Moses, with a two-day fast reminiscent of the Jewish Yom Kippur) and which, for the Shiites, has acquired an additional meaning: the commemoration of the martyrdom of the Imam al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī and 72 followers at the hands of the Umayyad caliph Yazid I. The massacre took place on the tenth day of the month of Muharram in the year 40 AH and the period of mourning, for the minority component of Islam, lasts 40 days. On this occasion, every year hundreds of thousands of pilgrims travel to the city of Karbala (Iraq), where the tombs of the Imam and his followers are located, to commemorate the mourning.

During the event, the participants took part in a ‘walkabout’ near St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Saddar, Karachi, breaking the long day of fasting at the Karachi Parsi Institute (KPI) with a fresh fruit drink distributed to passersby. Father Shakeel Gulzar, director of the KPC, explained that ‘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.” The priest went on to say that Muharram is for the Shiites “a time of reflection, mourning and solidarity with God, and we, with our Sabeel, have shown our support.”

Observers and activists applaud the initiative, explaining that sharing the journey and the mourning period is a wonderful gesture of unity by Christians, in a spirit of harmony and cooperation in a region that is often the scene of ethnic-confessional violence. Kashif Anthony, coordinator of the CCIDE, inaugurated the “Sabeel” together with Father Amir Bhatti, Father Sunil Sarfraz, Sister Fazilat and Samantha Rodrigues, president of the Catholic Women’s Guild. Kashif praised those present for coming together and helping to distribute cold drinks to members of the Dawood Bohra community, a gesture reciprocated by “men, women and children who thanked the Catholic community of St. Patrick for this kind gesture” on the occasion of Ashura.

Meanwhile, the annual interfaith caravan of the Rwadari Tehreek Pakistan arrived at Karabla Gamay Shah, one of the oldest Imam Bargahs (ritual halls) in Lahore. The date was not a coincidence, as the month of Muharram was chosen precisely to express closeness and convey a message of peace in response to the sectarian tensions that have bloodied the nation in recent decades. The Rwadari Peace Caravan is part of the Rwadari Tehreek’s peace campaign for Muharram, which also includes social media interventions and other initiatives to urge citizens to counter sectarian hate speech and promote harmony. This campaign also aims to urge the government, state institutions and other stakeholders to remain vigilant and adopt a zero-tolerance policy against hate speech and incitement to violence.

Rwadari Tehreek Chairman Samson Salamat told the interfaith meeting that “our priority should be to maintain a peaceful and tension-free environment.” He added that “each one of us, and all stakeholders, must discharge their responsibilities without any negligence.” Throughout the various speeches, the speakers unanimously called on “the government and institutions responsible for maintaining peace and security” to exercise “zero tolerance” towards hate speech and incitement to sectarian violence. For a prosperous and peaceful nation, they concluded, it is necessary to ensure “all-out security for all religious gatherings and processions during the 10th of Moharram.”