ROME: Muslims in the Italian province of Pordenone have decided to donate Zakat — alms — this Ramadan to people most affected by the conflict in Ukraine.
Mustafa Nadif, a representative of the Moroccan community in the province, which has taken in refugees from Ukraine in recent weeks, told Arab News that the initiative aims to provide a “concrete token of solidarity with those who are suffering.”
He added: “Our solidarity and closeness goes out to all those suffering from wars or forgotten conflicts, especially during this holy period for Muslims worldwide.”
Yassine Lafram, president of the Union of Islamic Communities of Italy, said after meeting the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Bologna Cardinal Matteo Zuppi: “The prayers of the Islamic community will be not only for Ukraine, but for all the forgotten wars of the world. We will pray for the people killed, wounded, for oppressed peoples deprived of their liberty.”
Zuppi, who is considered one of the most influential Catholic figures in terms of interreligious dialogue with Muslim communities in Italy, expressed his “best wishes for Holy Ramadan to all our Muslim brothers.”
He added: “May your fasting really be a sign of our participation in the suffering of our sisters and brothers who are overwhelmed by war, in Ukraine as well as in many parts of the world, in the so-called ‘forgotten wars’.”