Stories

When an indigenous British man opened up a shop in Cardiff, UK, it was more than just a business idea. It was to create a platform for people of different faiths and backgrounds to get in and chat without any kind of prejudice, so as to encourage harmony.

But he got more than he bargained for. He faced open hostility from people, some spitting at his shop, others banging on the windows.

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In Abid Street of Damascus, a modest office overlooks glittery gold shops and busy, tempting food outlets. Amidst such lively setting, a low-profile showcase with scientific tools and skulls seems out of place until one sees an elegant man inside. His inviting eyes attract the people to enter his shop and be recognized. The man in the late 50s is leading Syrian-Armenian businessman Gabriel Jambarji.

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Inside iron fence that surrounds an ordinary looking house in calm Santiago neighbourhood reside some unusual Chilean nationals. They enjoy local cuisine, speak the same language and wear similar dress too. But, they don’t share the faith with predominantly Roman Catholic people. They also don’t eat pork and instead of visiting Church on Sunday, pray five times a day in a mosque!

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Pastor Peter Rong definitely knows how to tell a story. He starts the Sunday celebration with an interesting moral from a tale rooted in his country of origin, Sudan.

Today’s story is tragic and touching. A man loved his car so much that he broke son’s arm when the little one scratched some letters on it. The child woke up in the hospital after surgery and seeing he had lost all his fingers, asked his father innocently: “When will my fingers grow back?”

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Diane Emerson had her moment of awakening in the lap of Southern Alps, New Zealand. The 57-year old discovered her new world while reading Autobiography of a Yogi, Paramhansa Yogananda’s masterpiece of spiritual literature.

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Most children of the picturesque city of Zamboanga in the Philippines’ troubled south are groomed to be cautious in making friends believing in a different religions.

Zamboanga Peninsula, the sixth most populous region and the third geographically largest in the Philippines, is home to 70 per cent Christians and 30% percent Buddhist and Muslim people.

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Somalia and Yemen don’t share much in climate, cuisine and culture. Yet Ismaeel Ahmad (24) prefers his Aden flat over the entire world.

"Even if there is a Saudi plane ready with a seat for me, I won’t leave Yemen where I live a respectful life of a mua'allim (teacher),” says Ahmad, who once longed to live in the oil-rich monarchy in the Arabian Peninsula.

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As the crowd chants his name, one could not help but to reminisce of last time an 'Ali' was making headlines in the sport of boxing. The new 'Ali' is only 22 years old, but with his fast punch-combinations; Saddam Ali is flying to success.

"I feel good. And everybody's chanting my name, 'Ali! Ali!' And I don't remember the fights. Life is going by so fast," says Ali with a youthful smile.

Andre Rozier trains Ali and appreciates his determination and youthfulness.

"Saddam is a very gifted athlete and we work very hard in the gym, but he always brings a sense of humor and comedy to everything we do," says Rozier.

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Applause and cheers erupted from the crowded room as musicians put their instruments to their sides, stood and faced their audience, residents of the Palestinian village of Salem, with pride.

This was the maiden performance by students of the Salem Music Center following 9 months of learning.

With 6,000 inhabitants, Salem is a few kilometers from the city of Nablus, West Bank. The village lies between two Palestinian refugee camps, and the illegal Israeli settlement of Elon Moreh and near Skali Ranch outpost.

The Israeli occupation of the West Bank, and the settlements have been sources of pain and hardship for the village. The locals have faced land confiscations, physical assaults, checkpoints, Jew-only roads and loss of livelihoods as their olive trees were burnt or uprooted. Worst of all, they faced a murder.

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Nazir Ahmed (39) may leave Bangladesh in a lifetime but his handiwork remains the country’s unrivaled flag career in six continents.

Ahmed is the third generation of Urdu-speaking Muslims who weave Banarsi sarees – a traditional, colourful female dress in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. While this hand-made attire of Jamdani or Katan variety is an integral part of fashion-conscious women’s wardrobe, the common femalefolk wears its cheaper and more robust version.

Mirpur Banarsi saree producers proudly claim that their handiwork has been a special choice of leading icons of the Mumbai film industry, blockbuster film Devdas exhibiting a vast variety of Banarsi sarees from Mirpur.

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