UN chief says fasting showed him 'true face of Islam'

WASHINGTON

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said joining Muslims as they fast during Islam's holy month of Ramadan showed him “the true face of Islam.”

“The sense of peace, the sense of solidarity, the sense of generosity that I witnessed in the communities hosting refugees, and also the resilience, the courage of the refugees themselves was extremely inspiring,” he said.

His remarks came during an interview with UN News’s Arabic service on Wednesday, ahead of his visit to Somali next week as part of the UN chief's annual tradition of visiting a Muslim-majority country during Ramadan.

"And it remains a very important inspiration of everything I do today, as Secretary-General of the United Nations," he added.

Asked about his annual visit to refugee camps or settlements as UNHCR chief, where he fasted in solidarity, Guterres said: “When I became Secretary-General, I thought that this tradition should be maintained - now, not focused on refugee communities, but focused on the Muslim communities that are suffering”.

On Ramadan, Guterres said: “I think this is the moment for us to be all united for peace. Peace is the most precious thing that we can have in the world”.