Saudi Ambassador Abdulaziz Abdul Rahman Al-Jammaz in Colombo presented the Kingdom’s gift of dates to Disaster Management Minister Abdul Hameed Mohamed Fowzie, who is also in-charge of Islamic affairs.

“We would like to help all communities in Sri Lanka,” Al-Jammaz told Arab News from Colombo following the handing-over ceremony on Thursday. He added that this is donation from Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah as part of his efforts to assist friendly nations such as Sri Lanka.

The envoy said that the Kingdom is also interested in helping the people in the recently liberated northern and eastern parts of the island.

Receiving the gift, Fowzie said that these dates will be distributed among the 2,500 mosques throughout the island where iftar programs are conducted during the holy month. A substantial quantity of the consignment will also be given to the internally displaced Muslims in the island, he added.

Fowzie took the opportunity to thank Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for his magnanimity in helping people in Muslim and non-Muslim countries.

Around seven percent of the 25-million-strong Sri Lankan population are Muslims.

“Muslims are given a fair deal by the government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa,” Fowzie stressed.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan missions in the Kingdom have organized open-house iftar parties for its community members. The embassy in Riyadh, in cooperation with the Sri Lankan Expatriates Society (SLES), will host an iftar reception on Aug. 27 while its consulate in Jeddah will hold a similar reception on Aug.19.

“The iftar is a function open to all Sri Lankan families in the Kingdom aimed at providing a platform for our own countrymen to meet and greet one another during this holy Ramadan,” said Sri Lankan Ambassador Ahmed A. Jawad.