Archbishop Machado takes part in iftar

By NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: City Archbishop Peter Machado along with a Christian delegation participated in iftar and prayers close to sunset at Masjid-e-Mamoor of Koramangla in Bengaluru on Wednesday.

The appearance came days after Machado publically extended solidarity to the state’s Muslims, claiming that the Karnataka government “had an agenda,” adding that Muslims and Christians were being targeted in assorted cases of communal violence. “I came to this mosque to express happiness on the occasion of Ramzan and participate in breaking of the fast and prayers. Even though I’m Christian, I felt like coming down to the mosque to send out the message that we should coexist peacefully and that we are the children of the same God,” Machado said on the occasion.

The Catholic priest could be seen handing out bowls of fruit to fasting Muslims at the mosque. Following breaking of the fast, he and his Christian compatriots were seen standing respectfully in the back row as Muslims offered ‘Maghrib’ prayers around sunset.