7th Session of the SAARC Talk Series 2024

The seventh session of the SAARC Talk Series 2024 (Virtual Mode) was held on (Friday), 30^th August 2024, 3:00 pm (Sri Lanka Standard Time) at the SAARC Cultural Centre (SCC), Sri Lanka. The speaker of the seventh session of the SAARC Talk Series 2024 was Dr. Zameer Careem. Dr. Zameer is a medical doctor-diplomatic historian, visiting lecturer in International Relations at General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University. He previously served as a guest and visiting lecturer at universities in the Czech Republic, India, Indonesia, Iran, Turkey, and Ukraine.

Dr. Zameer Careem delivered a lecture on the topic “Bridging Beliefs: Saints as Symbols of Syncretism in South Asia,”. The talk explored how saints, revered across different religious communities, act as bridges between Abrahamic and Eastern religions, promoting a shared spiritual identity. It highlighted the phenomenon of devotees from Eastern religions, such as Hinduism and Buddhism, who seek blessings and intercession at Catholic churches and Islamic shrines. This practice illustrates the deep-rooted tradition of religious syncretism and coexistence that has long characterized South Asian society. Focusing primarily on examples from Sri Lanka and India, the talk extended its analysis to other South Asian countries, providing a broader understanding of how saint veneration functions as a symbol of religious unity in the region.