On 27 March 2023, Ambassador
Cecilia Attard-Pirotta and her spouse, Mr Ivan Attard, accompanied by First
Secretary Mr Charles Calleja and his spouse, attended a breaking of the fast,
known as ‘Iftar’ with the community in Maghar, a city in the North of Israel,
at the invite of the mayor of the town, Mr Fareed Ganem, Deputy Mayor Ms Noha
Jaber and Muslim Representative Mr Muhammad Shini.
On this occasion, Ambassador
Attard-Pirotta also received a presentation, by the Middle-School students
studying English at the ‘Eshol Pais’ cultural centre, on the history and
geography of Maghar, as well as its societal dynamics. Maghar is a city with an
inter-faith community composed of mainly Muslims, Druze, and Christians, with a
population of around 25,000. The presentation then ended with some remarks from
the city’s mayor, who commended the preparation by the students.
During her remarks, Ambassador
Attard-Pirotta noted the various cultural and linguistic similarities between
life in the Maltese Islands and in Maghar. She was remarked how in spite of
different cultural and religious backgrounds, communities could live in peace
and unity, and the city of Maghar was a living example of this. Ambassador Attard-Pirotta then concluded by
thanking her hosts for their hospitality and commended the work the city had been
doing to promote inter-faith dialogue.