On Saturday the 27th June the MTA, Leytonstone United Free Church in cooperation with Leytonstone School held the a successful Big Iftar event at the Leytonstone United Free church. This event brought together people from different faiths, sharing stories and having engaging discussions about what Ramadan and being a Muslim means to them. The event was also attended by the Mayor of Waltham Forest Cllr Saima Mahmud, who further highlighted the importance of events such as the big Iftar in promoting community cohesion. The mayor went on to describe her personal experience of Ramadan and how it builds ‘self-discipline’.
Other speakers also shared their experiences of Ramadan and how it is prescribed for Muslims in the Quran. At 9.22pm when it was time to break the fast guests were met with appetizing food as kindly donated by the Star of India located on Leytonstone High Road. As prayer was announced those who wanted to were welcomed to observe the prayer. The success of the evening was further highlighted by the feedback received, which included:
‘A really good way to meet members of the community and to speak to each other – something we don’t do much of these days. Talking and sharing is the way forward’
‘When we focus on common ground, our common humanity, we can grow together’
‘Definitely need more events like this, having it on a small scale allows time for discussion. Important for the community to learn about each other’s values’
‘I am delighted I was invited to this event! I’ve enjoyed engaging with different people’
‘It’s very interesting to learn about Ramadan and the reasons for fasting’
‘I really enjoyed the event and I learned about how faith communities locally are working together. The Q and A session was fantastic. The Big Iftar is a brilliant idea’ The Mayor of Waltham Forest
To see the blog of the event posted by the Leytonstone United free Church click or tap www.leytonstoneunitedfree.co.uk/what-goes-on-here/blog/post/the-big-iftar-in-leytonstone
