Hyderabad: Osmania University students organised iftar parties for Muslims and non-Muslim students to encourage harmony and fraternity in the varsity.
Three iftar parties were organised on the university premises last week, where the majority of the attendees were non-Muslims.
Speaking to Siasat.com, Saleem Pasha, LLM student and organiser of Sunday’s ‘Dawat-e-Iftar’, said that about 400 people took part in the party organised in front of the Arts College building, the majority of which were non-muslim students.
“There are around 50 male Muslim students who stay in university hostels. Iftar and Sehri meals are organised for them in the B-Hostel mess, this is included in the mess bill. They were present at iftar organised on Sunday but the rest of the 400 participants were non-Muslim students,” said Saleem.
He said that the iftar party event has been organised in OU every year since 2008, it was conducted for the first time in the NRSH hostel. Starting in 2012, the event was organised in front of the Arts College building.
Saleem recounted that there was some resistance from right-wing student parties against organising iftar in front of the Arts College building however, it didn’t last long. “Our aim is to promote brotherhood and students also respond positively towards this. We haven’t faced any opposition in the last few years due to the prevailing harmony amongst students of various religions in OU,” he added.
He said that leaders of various student parties of the university also take part in the event.
The OU chapter of the Students Islamic Organisation (SIO) organised another iftar party on Saturday at the ICSSR guest house on OU premises, where 300 students were present.
Mohammed Abdul Rahman, the public relations secretary of SIO, said that the event was cancelled for a few years due to Covid pandemic situation and has been resumed this year.
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