As the worldwide Muslim community celebrates the feast of Eid Al Fitr this week, World Council of Churches General Secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit has offered written greetings of peace.

“Even as I send you my best wishes on this festive occasion, this is also an appropriate moment to acknowledge with gratitude the longstanding relationship that the World Council of Churches enjoys with our Muslim partners,” Tveit wrote. “Despite the huge challenges that we encounter, our bilateral dialogues and joint projects of common collaboration have not only helped to deepen trust and strengthen mutual respect but also have provided a strong foundation to advocate jointly for just, inclusive and peaceable communities.”

Eid Al Fitr is an occasion to be reminded that at the heart of the holy month of Ramadan are the values of self-discipline, solidarity and compassion, Tveit added. “As you mark the end of this holy month, my prayer for you is not only that through the discipline of fasting your faith and spirit have been richly fed, but also that you have been blessed with a hunger for justice and peace,” he wrote.