Bishop of Kottar Joins Muslim Funeral, Inspiring Religious Harmony

Kottar, October 29, 2025: Posts celebrating interfaith harmony have flooded social media in Kanyakumari district since Sunday, 26 October, after images circulated of Bishop Nazarene Soosai of Kottar Diocese walking alongside members of the Muslim community in the funeral procession of A.S. Hameed, former president of the Inayam Jama'ath. The Bishop joined the procession and walked with his Muslim brothers for about half a kilometre.

A.S. Hameed passed away early on Sunday, and his burial took place that evening. As preparations were underway, Bishop Soosai, accompanied by his assistants, arrived at the residence, where he stood through the final rites conducted at the house. He then joined the funeral procession to the mosque, stood respectfully during the prayers, and remained at the burial site until the ceremony concluded.

Aseem, a resident of Colachel, who shared the event on his Facebook page, wrote: “I spoke to the Bishop while walking in the funeral procession. The Bishop mentioned that their friendship spanned over thirty years, starting when he was the parish priest of Inayam and A.S. Hameed was the president of the Inayam Jama'ath. He added that A.S. Hameed was a close friend who would invite him to his children’s weddings and host him with feasts on festive days.”

In another post, Aseem noted that the Bishop had postponed his evening church programmes to attend the funeral and spend several hours paying tribute to his late friend, describing his gesture as “praiseworthy.”

This act of fraternity and mutual respect between the Bishop and his long-time Muslim friend has been widely lauded online, with many praising it as a moving example of religious harmony in the region.

By Catholic Connect Reporter