These heart-warming moments of barrier-free bonding give "unity" a new meaning.
Only in India can a Sikh community get together in a village to give their Muslim neighbours a mosque to pray in. This mosque was lost during Partition in 1947, and all it took was one Sikh family to realize that while they had a gurdwara, the Muslims in their community had no place of worship.
Photo Credit: The Milli Gazette
This Sikh community not only raised the funds but also worked with the local Muslims to reconstruct Rehmani Mosque in Sarwarpur, Ludhiana District.
Despite the history of civil unrest in the name of cultural differences and religions in South Asia, these images prove that there's hope for unity. Where else would you see a Muslim family embrace religious differences and dress their child as Hindu God Krishna for a school competition?
Photo Credit: Humans Of Bombay
"She's from Islamabad and I'm from Bombay but we met each other in New York in 2003 through a common friend and we've been friends ever since. In fact when I was studying in London, she came there to see a prospective boy for marriage and I remember going with her, hiding behind a pillar to see if he looked shady and waiting till her date was done. They ended up getting married, but I couldn't attend the wedding in Islamabad because of visa issues. We've been friends for over 12 years but never visited each others' home. So this time I applied for a visa, went through a procedure of 4 months and finally came to visit her here in Bombay. I remember sitting on the flight here wondering what it would be like and I just want to say that it's been amazing — all these divisions are in our mind."
Nothing sends a more powerful message than a country's political party promoting respect for one another's beliefs. Here, Imran Khan from Pakistan is seen celebrating at an InterFaith Christmas Dinner. Cutting a cake are Christians, Muslims and Sikhs.
Sri Lanka has a population of 70 per cent Buddhists, 13 per cent Hindus, 10 per cent Muslims and only 7 per cent Christians. However, earlier this year, Pope Francis, leader of the worldwide Catholic Church, visited Sri Lanka and delivered his message of peace and religious tolerance. In the crowds welcoming him to Colombo were attendees of different religions and socioeconomic statuses with whom this message echoed.
Is it really possible for people from different religions, histories and cultures to coexist? A village in Pakistan, Mithi in Sindh, is a prime example of just that. Here, Hindus are a majority at 80 per cent, living in harmony with Muslims. In Mithi, Muslims — out of respect for their Hindu brothers and sisters — don't eat cow meat, as cow is sacred in the Hindu religion. Hindus here don't eat in public during Ramadan, the month of fasting for Muslims. Here is one of the many Hindu temples that you will find in Mithi, Santoshi Mata Mandir, where there is peace.
Main Image Photo Credit: www.twitter.com/zehrash1
Naemah Abid
Author
Born in Saudi Arabia and originally from Pakistan, this Canadian immigrant is all too familiar with airport life. After taking her first pleasure trip abroad post-graduation, Naemah was hit with the travel bug. Find this frequent traveller sharing pictures and experiences, offering up advice and tra...
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