El Saladillo parish priest and imam cooperate in helping others: "Hunger has no colour or religion"

ALGECIRAS (Photo: EuropaSur) - Religious differences are put aside when it comes to helping the less forunate. That is so, at least, in the downtrodden section of Algeciras known as El Saladillo. Yelman Bustamante Solórzano (centre), the parish priest of Santa María, and the local mosque's imam and president of the muslim community, Kamal Cheddad (right), and its vice-president, Khalid Meziane Yaala, have managed to bring their efforts together whereby the local chapter of Cáritas, the Catholic charity, will also be distributing food and other help through the mosque in areas such as El Saladillo, La Piñera, Pescadores, Los Pastores and Cortijo Vides, where many families are in great need. Father Bustamante, who met the other two over three years ago and have become fast friends, says, "They have always known that at this parish there is no difference of colour, race or creed. Hunger has no colour or religion.">

For his part, the imam says that there is often a language problem when Moroccan people turn up to ask for help at the parish, "so they bring their children to interpret, which means the kids get to know, and worry, about the family problems."

Some 300 families will thus be helped through the mosque, with two religions working hand in hand to help those who need it and, as Bustamante says, "It is a great way for people to see that we can, and do, work together for everyone."