Pakistan - The Imam of Lahore: "Christians and Muslims together for dialogue and respect..."

Multan - PAKISTAN -- "Muslims and Christians work together for dialogue and peace in Pakistan. It is important to bring awareness among all believers of Islam concerning respect for other religions. Our Prophet Muhammad was a messenger of peace and our own greeting is shalom, a greeting of peace. We will continue to spread and work for dialogue, harmony and peace in our country": is what the imam of the mosque in Lahore, Syed Muhammad Abdul Khabir Azad, one of the great Muslim leaders in Pakistan, says in an interview with Fides.

Azad who has been leading the Badashi Mosque in Lahore for 16 years, the most important in the country, and was a friend of the Catholic minister killed, Shahbaz Bhatti. As leader of the "Interreligious Council of Pakistan for peace and harmony", he has organized today in Multan (in Punjab), a conference to emphasize the need for dialogue and peace in Pakistan. Over 500 leading scholars and religious from different schools of thought, representatives of world religions, diplomats, parliamentarians and members of civil society are at the meeting.