Asgraf AboArafe
In a warm gesture reflecting the spirit of Ramadan, the Turkish Embassy in Cairo hosted a special iftar banquet for 250 Egyptian citizens from low-income families, bringing together guests in an atmosphere of compassion, solidarity, and shared faith.
The event, organized at the embassy compound, welcomed Egyptian families whose children are enrolled in schools, along with representatives from Egyptian media and press. The gathering embodied the deeper meaning of the holy month—generosity, unity, and social responsibility.
During the iftar, Turkey’s Ambassador to Cairo, Saleh Mutlu Şen, emphasized that Ramadan is not only a month of worship but also a time for solidarity and sharing among people.
He stated:
“Our solidarity and mutual assistance as Muslims during the month of Ramadan is a duty toward everyone—whether Turkish or Egyptian. Egyptians are our brothers.”
The ambassador explained that the tradition of sharing during Ramadan, including charity and almsgiving such as zakat and zakat al-fitr, represents an essential pillar of Islamic values and moral responsibility.
He noted that Muslims have a duty to touch people’s lives and share what they have during the blessed month. In previous years, the embassy organized Ramadan activities with Egyptians outside the embassy premises. This year, however, the initiative aimed to create a warmer and more intimate atmosphere by hosting the gathering in the garden of the ambassador’s residence.
Ambassador Şen stressed that as long as the spirit of Ramadan remains alive, the values of equality, brotherhood, and solidarity among Muslims will endure. Such values, he said, strengthen the harmony, resilience, and unity of societies.
He added that the true strength of any nation does not lie solely in tanks, weapons, oil, gas, or gold, but also in the spirit of compassion and solidarity among communities that share a common destiny and spiritual bond.
The ambassador also praised the Egyptian society under the leadership of Abdel Fattah el‑Sisi, noting that Ramadan in Egypt vividly reflects cooperation and generosity—in the streets, homes, institutions, and across public life.
“For the entire month,” he said, “Ramadan is not merely about worship; it becomes a space for generosity in its broadest and most humane sense.”
He added that as a Turk living in Cairo, he feels part of the Egyptian community during Ramadan and considers such initiatives both a personal and Islamic duty.
In his closing remarks, Ambassador Şen highlighted that amid the wars and risks recently emerging in the region, Turkey and Egypt need solidarity and cooperation more than ever. He affirmed that Turkey, under the leadership of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, will continue strengthening consultation, coordination, and cooperation with Egypt in economic, social, cultural, and political fields.
The ambassador concluded the evening by congratulating the women journalists and media professionals present at the event on the occasion of International Women’s Day, celebrated annually on March 8.
