With Ramadan come festivities where people from different local expatriate communities celebrate togetherness. The Pakistani expatriate community living in Al Khor, comprising people working for Qatargas and RasGas, celebrate one such event every Ramadan.
Representing Pakistanis living in Al Khor, the sociocultural organisation Sohni Dharti is once again welcoming Ramadan with one of its flagship annual events. The event, Faizan-e-Ramadan, will see the members and non-members of Sohni Dharti getting together over an Iftar-Dinner. Faizan-e-Ramadan is the annual event that Sohni Dharti has been organising every year since its inception in 2012.
“Ramadan is the holy month observed by Muslims worldwide. The word Ramadan comes from Arabic with the root ‘Ramida,’ which means scorching heat or dryness. And fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam. This year the theme of our programme is Marhaba Ya Ramadan (Welcome Ramadan),” Rana Anwar Ali told Community.
To be held at the Community Hall of Al Khor Community on June 15, the event will start at 4pm with a Qur’an Recitation Competition for children. In this year’s programme, the children from Sohni Dharti community have put together a show related to different themes related to Ramadan. The programme will also include an Islamic quiz, Naat recitation and speech contests.
“It will be a memorable event for the Pakistani community, where children are putting together presentations related to Ramadan,” said the chairman of Sohni Dharti.
He said the members of the executive committee of Sohni Dharti are working “very hard to ensure a great show”.
This event is a regular feature on Sohni Dharti’s annual calendar. Last year’s event was attended by a large number of Pakistanis and others living in the vicinity. Hundreds of people attended the event when it was held in 2013.  
In previous years, children of different age groups participated in various contests. Last year’s event also had a Question and Answer session on the significance of the month of Ramadan, in which the audience members were also encouraged to participate.
The programme will start at 4pm sharp. Entry passes are mandatory for attending the show and have already been issued. Registrations for different competitions and events have concluded. At present, the participants and organisers are busy rehearsing for the show, according to Ali.  
Ali said the programme will conclude with an Iftar-Dinner and there are limited seats available for people who are not members of Sohni Dharti. These can be secured by contacting the organisers on 6608-4437.
Sohni Dharti has been organising multiple events for the Pakistani community in Doha. Earlier in February, it held a Pakistan Bazaar at the New Football Field of Al Khor Community near Al Khor Hospital.
With free entry and open to people from all nationalities, the bazaar was held in co-operation with Pakistani embassy. Stalls at the day-long event sold popular Pakistani garments, leather items, decoration materials and fresh vegetables and fruits from Pakistan.
The highlight of the event was mandarins, imported fresh from Pakistan. Attended by hundreds of people from different communities apart from the Pakistani community, the bazaar treated its visitors with traditional Pakistani items that are otherwise hard to find in Doha.
Formed in 2012, the main objectives of the Sohni Dharti are to promote cultural, social and sports activities for Pakistanis residents of Al Khor Community.
It also aims to contribute to the welfare and development of the community, especially to promote the preservation of environment of community and surroundings and integrate Pakistani community with other nationalities in Al Khor.
The membership of Sohni Dharti is open to the people of Pakistani origin residing in Al Khor, and to Qatargas and RasGas employees living in Doha.