German President Joins Iftar Dinner in Berlin

Gauck, a former Lutheran pastor from East Germany, joined an iftar dinner on Monday to break the Ramadan fast in Moabit, a poor district of Berlin with a large migrant population, Reuters reported.

During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims refrain from eating or drinking from dawn to dusk and break their fast in the evening (Iftar).

"Promoting encounters is particularly important at a time when mutual mistrust is spreading," Gauck said.

He warned against a polarization of society and urged Germans to seek regular encounters with Muslims in their neighborhoods.

"All who celebrate the iftar together today can attest: Living together is possible," he said.

"Simply being together can sometimes even replace long discussions - especially if we let ourselves be guided by the golden rule that is common to all major religions and simply says: Treat others as you want them to treat you."

The German president's remarks came after some 50 people on Sunday were killed and many others were injured when a gunman, identified as a Daesh sympathizer named Omar Mateen, attacked a nightclub in Orlando, Florida.

Germany received over one million asylum seekers last year; an influx which has resulted in tensions with its native population and political parties such as the anti-refugee Alternative for Germany (AfD) that claims Islam is not compatible with the German constitution.