Permanent Representative Tamila Tasheva met with representatives of Arab diasporas in Ukraine who practice Islam. The meeting, dedicated to one of the main Muslim holidays Eid al-Adha, was attended by representatives of the diasporas of Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine and Iraq.

The Permanent Representative congratulated them on the holiday and wished them peace and justice. She recalled the words of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy that we are all one political nation and noted that today we can see many steps that emphasize our unity, in particular, this year’s first official Iftar with the participation of the head of state.

Muhammad Zaidiyeh, head of the Syrian diaspora in Kyiv and director of the Ukrainian Medical and Humanitarian Foundation “UMHS”, expressed his gratitude for organizing the meeting and said: “In this difficult time of Ukraine’s confrontation with Russia, we, the representatives of the Islamic world, unreservedly support the Ukrainian people. We are confident that Ukraine will liberate all its territories, including Crimea. The whole world should not forget that Crimea is Ukrainian land.”

Each of the participants of the meeting told their own story of their life in Ukraine, with a common theme of love for Ukraine and the sense of home they have found here. The participants discussed what they are doing to ensure Ukraine’s victory. Representatives of the diasporas expressed a wish to hold a similar meeting in Crimea one day.

The guests also spoke about their compatriots who are fighting in the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and those who, unfortunately, died defending Ukraine. In particular, the meeting was joined by Lebanese Mark Tohme, a soldier who is now defending the country that has become his native land from the occupiers.