Ramadan is in full swing and Muslims across the world are abstaining from food or drink during daylight hours. But the uninitiated may get the mistaken impression the month-long observance is marked by a dearth of food. Dinners and gatherings are an equal feature of the Islamic holy month.
Several members of the newly-minted Halton Hills Interfaith Council (HHIC), and others, were invited to Ballinafad’s Istiqlal Islamic Centre of Toronto (IICT) Monday night (March 25). They partook in a traditional iftar dinner, which is the first meal Muslims eat at the end of their fasting day.
“I’m a firm believer that interfaith activities and collaboration are a cornerstone of any successful community,” Imam Umar Farooq said in expressing his motives for having the dinner.
The evening was one of dialogue, sharing of wisdom and imparting of traditions between the faiths. Present were leaders from the Hindu, Sikh, Christian and Bahá'í communities.
A visiting Indonesian cleric named Imam Ali Hudaibi al Hafiz, perhaps appropriate for an interfaith forum, recited a moment in the life of Moses as told in the Muslim holy book the Quran. This is similar to the one found in the Bible verse Exodus 4:10.
Farooq also took the opportunity to state why Muslims fast.
“The end goal is to train ourselves to recognize that we are in full control of our actions and our decisions,” Farooq told the gathering. “If you can avoid all of that (food) because God asks you to do so, then you better be able to avoid when God tells you to not lie, when God tells you don't slander your brother or sister, don’t call people by names they're offended by, don’t cause corruption in the land, don’t pollute the earth.”
Interfaith council member and former Norval United Church minister Paul Ivany warned of rising Islamophobic rhetoric. With the Quebec mosque shooting and the killing of the Afzal Family looming large over the room, Ivany shared the importance of finding wisdom no matter the source.
“We must honour the truth wherever it is found,” Ivany said in addressing the gathering with a quote from the book Finding Faith by Brian McLaren. “What that means as a follower of Jesus is that I must gratefully honour that truth and honour the bearer of that truth.”
As many of the congregation’s members are from the Indonesian community, traditional national dishes were provided. Muslims break their day’s fast after their sunset prayer, the second last one of the day. When the moment comes, they eat a date and make their way over to the table to have an iftar dinner, which is prepared in a feast-like fashion.
Mayor Ann Lawlor said she found joy in the attendees “inspiring one another.” She urged everyone to "continue this journey” of interfaith dialogue.
“As a collective, we're building community. And so I thank you very deeply for your wisdom and for your humility for honouring one another.”
