(COLUMBUS, OH 05/23/19) – On Saturday May 18th, CAIR-Columbus held its 23rd Annual “Sharing Ramadan” Iftar. During this sold-out event Muslims shared breaking their fast with interfaith guests. Ramadan is the Islamic month during which Muslims abstain from food and drink from before dawn to after sunset. During this month, Muslims are encouraged to focus on spiritual renewal, God-consciousness, empathizing with others and shaping community relationships.
The program began with an introduction by Monuza Ashraf, Operations Coordinator for CAIR-Columbus and was then followed by a Quranic recitation about the month of Ramadan by Bilal Akhtar, a former student of Sunrise Academy. Alauddin Alauddin, a community leader and founder of The 360 Muslim, then provided the diverse audience an overview of Ramadan and its core values. Attendees were gifted a laminated educational infographic about Ramadan.
The event is designed to not only welcome the fast of the holy month of Ramadan but to also help those of other faiths better know the Columbus Muslim community. “We love how the event gives us a glimpse of Ramadan and of the experience of fasting, it’s something I’ve always wondered about,” said an attendee.
Romin Iqbal, Executive Director of CAIR-Columbus, spoke briefly about the Ramadan Gift-Matching Challenge, a program that the chapter is honored to be a part of. He concluded the event by sharing a video of a delegation of Muslims from Ohio lobbying in Washington D.C. on issues impacting American-Muslims at the annual National Muslim Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill.
“It’s crucial for American-Muslims to interconnect with members of other faiths and celebrate our shared values as a community,” said Romin Iqbal, “and each year Ramadan presents us with a stepping stone to reach our goal of building mutual understanding and advancing interfaith relations.”
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
