Sri Lankans join in observance of Ifthar in Jakarta

Bringing Sri Lankans together in Jakarta, the Embassy and members of the community observed Ifthar on Sunday 11 June at the Chancery at Jalan Diponegoro, Menteng, Jakarta. 

The evening began with the lighting of the traditional oil lamp and moments of silence in remembrance of those who died in the recent floods. The program included Islamic religious observances, an educative presentation on the meaning of fasting and zakat by a distinguished member of the Sri Lankan Muslim community, followed by Ifthar at 5:47 p.m. Jakarta time. Touched by appropriate decor and lighting, the evening was graced by members of all communities, thus reinforcing and nurturing friendship and camaraderie among all members of the Sri Lankan community in Indonesia. 

In his remarks, Ambassador Dharshana M. Perera thanked the community who partnered with the Embassy in bringing the Ifthar event together for the second time in recent history – the first was in 2016. Noting the importance of fasting as one of five key pillars of Islam and the resultant cleansing of the body, mind and spirit and developing the will power to avoid excessive desires, the period also is especially important to strengthening one’s spiritual relationships, he observed. The Ambassador further said: “We as Sri Lankans, who emerged from a harrowing period of conflict, should stand tall today and strengthen our inter-religious and inter-ethnic harmony, be a shining light, a model to the world, accepting, welcoming different ethnic and religious orientations and celebrating Sri Lanka’s contemporary societal diversity and thus sustain a strongly plural society. 

The evening concluded with the serving of the Ifthar meal with Sri Lanka cuisine.