Ramadan Celebrated at US Embassy
The US Embassy in Kyiv gave a reception on Saturday two weeks ago, marking the important Muslim holiday of Ramadan, inviting a large group of the faithful at the capital — despite markedly complicated US-Iraqi relations. Among the guests were also clergymen of the Orthodox and Catholic Church. US Ambassador Carlos Pascual said they all believed that bringing Muslims and Christians together on a personal level and on such an important religious occasion had special meaning. They did it because they wanted to find a common ground between different religions and confessions, specifically in terms of universal human values. It was the only way to surmount the barriers separating them.
One of the guests, Mufti Sheik Takhim Akhmed Mutakh of the Muslim Religious Department of Ukraine addressed the audience, saying, “The Almighty Allah instructed His people to worship one and only God. The Prophets called for a religion known as Islam, which is the Arabic for submission [to God]. Therefore, Islam has always been against terrorism and those committing crimes under religious slogans. Such people act against the teachings of the Prophets, hallowed be their names, among them Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad... Ramadan is a great and pious month, the best month of the year, marked by good deeds, grace, mutual assistance, and understanding; at this time people must show mercy to each other. The Muslim Religious Department of Ukraine has always warned against the pernicious influence of extremism upon society, stressing that it has nothing to do with Islam. Regrettably, certain people still prefer to describe extremists as adherents of Islam. One must know how to distinguish between Islam, Muslims, and religious extremists, along with all those behind them. One must also understand the situation with the Muslims and the consequences of what is being perpetrated under Islamic slogans but contrary to the Faith. May our Almighty Lord deliver us from the hands of those hiding their faces under religious phrases. May each of us do unto his brother as he would have him do unto himself.”
Papal Nuncio to Ukraine Monsignor Nikola Eterovic also emphasized the need to address universal human values, under all circumstances, such as the family, tradition, and peace. As for taking part in a Muslim holiday, His Eminence quoted from the Word: Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
Father Borys (Tabachek), head of the Administrative Department of the Kyiv Patriarchate, said that “we favor the idea of the US Ambassador to Ukraine, Mr. Carlos Pascual, to have people representing different religions gathered at the Embassy on the occasion of the Ramadan, as we would favor any other peaceful initiatives. I think that such projects would be supported by all religious communities in Ukraine, because none of them would want the situation to be fraught with further enmity.”
The reception was attended by French Ambassador Philippe de Surmen. There is a Muslim community numbering some 5 million in his country, and he said that interfaith tolerance was important for every state. In France, the problem of Christian-Muslim relations has remained relevant, the more so that there have been several acts of terrorism over the past few years. Nevertheless, Mr. Philippe de Suremain declared that most Muslims in France are decent and law-abiding citizens, taking an active part in public life. As for Ramadan, its joyous finale has long turned into a holiday in Paris. Although there is no reliable protection against terrorism, he pointed out (Islam is the second largest religious community of France, after the Catholics, followed by Protestants and Judaists — the latter numbering about a million).
The US Embassy did its best, it should be noted, to make the Muslims feel at home. The text of the invitation read that the guest would have a special room to offer up a prayer (in compliance with the Second Pillar of Islam, the religious duty to perform five prescribed daily prayers or salat. All adult Muslims are supposed to perform five prayers, preceded by ritual cleansing or purification of the body at different intervals of the day).
The reception passed in a quiet and friendly atmosphere, with the guests professing different faiths communicating as though the world were not shaken by wars, horrible and senseless acts of terrorism, cleanup operations, children born and growing in cold refugee camps lacking adequate food supplies, buses blowing up, killing innocent passengers, rampant cruelty and falsehood.
What is the world we live in? Quite often it reminds me of that two-story Ukrainian marketplace puppet show known as vertep, with puppets playing normal human characters upstairs, communicating, cooperating, although each, of course, lives in his own small world, worshipping his own God. Downstairs is a living hell, with murderous scheming, wheeling, and dealing constantly underway, ruled by the merciless law of vendetta, with human lives bought and sold for token money. The impression is that there is no connection between the upper and lower floors.
