As Muslims in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) began observing the month of Ramzan, a remarkable gesture of respect for the community emerged from a Hindu temple in Dubai. The temple displayed a board extending warm wishes for the holy month alongside a sincere request.
Gesture from Jebel Ali temple
The majestic temple located in Jebel Ali captured the hearts of many people with the board urging devotees and visitors to eat or drink only inside the temple as a sign of respect for local culture and in harmony with the Muslim community.
This touching gesture gained attention through a video shared on the Instagram platform by a Keralite content creator, Sajinth Harikumar. The marble board reads, “Hindu temple Dubai. Ramadan Kareem. May the moon enlighten your path with peace & happiness. Please refrain from eating or drinking in and around the temple vicinity”.
In all Arab countries, Ramzan began on Saturday, 1 March, after the crescent moon was sighted on the night of 28 February. Muslims across the globe observe the month with worship, charity, dawn-to-dusk fasting.
Netizen reaction
The video quickly garnered traction across online platforms, particularly in India, with netizens praising Dubai as an ideal society where people of all backgrounds, including religion and races, coexist with mutual respect and harmony.
Indian netizens shared the video on their social media pages, advocating how such gestures contribute to the good progress of a nation and foster strong bonds among its diverse communities.
“Dubai’s Hindu Temple shows true harmony: ‘Ramadan Kareem—may peace & happiness light your path.’ Respectful—no eating/drinking near the temple during Ramadan! #UAE leads,” wrote Indian Author Ali K Chishti.
“That is what coexistence should look like!!! Religion should bring peaceful cordarnce and not hatred”, commented a user.
“That’s UAE (The place where humans are respected regardless of religion and culture) – The UAE it’s an emotion”, another user wrote.
‘Dubai is itself a symbol of tolerance’, says Harikumar
While speaking to Siasat.com, Harikumar, currently working as a radio jockey in Dubai, expressed his admiration for the gesture of the temple management body. He explained that Dubai city is itself a symbol of tolerance as there are several religious institutions of different faiths. “The grand temple stands next to a church and a Sikh gurdwara. This prime location demonstrates Dubai’s forward-thinking rulings and its support for religious harmony and cultural integration,” he added.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), which is a federation of seven Emirates, is a Muslim-majority country, and Islam is the official religion of the nation. However, it is home to many religious communities, including Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Christians, and Jews.
Across the UAE, the Hindu population is estimated to be between 6 to 15 percent of the total population. This makes Hinduism the third largest religion in the country. The second largest religion in the county is Christianity.
UAE has two major Hindu temples that welcome multi-national congregations. The Jebel Ali temple was officially opened in 2022 and inaugurated by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence.
| 
