Community iftars during Ramadan help these teams connect and get their message across

This independent journalism is made possible by a Future of Good editorial fellowship on community resilience, funded by Cooperators. See our editorial ethics and standards here. 

A group of people have come together for iftar ⁠— inside a church. 

A long table has been laid in the nave of the Manor Road United Church in Toronto’s Davisville neighbourhood. Seated around it are people from different faith communities, who have all come together for this interfaith iftar at the end of Ramadan, the holiest month in Islam. The iftar ⁠— the meal Muslims eat to end their sunrise-sunset fasts during this month ⁠— is preceded by a discussion of spiritual harmony from the hosts, the non-profit Intercultural Dialogue Institute.

“More than the idea of talking about peace, when we actually eat together we live it,” says Rev. John Joseph Mastandrea, who leads the Manor Road community.

“So often there’s a lot of ideas about policies and programs. I think the easiest thing to do would be to have lots of meals in many neighbourhoods of different cultures and start with that.”

The Institute has been hosting community iftars for several years in partnership⁠. One attendee, who identified as Jewish, told Future of Good she had been coming regularly since 2014 to break bread with people from different faiths. Director Halil Yurtsever framed that diversity as a strength in a short speech, highlighting passages from the Bible, Torah and Qur’an with themes of communal bonding.

For many Muslim-centred organizations, community iftars are a way to connect with their constituents and capitalize on the charitable spirit of Ramadan for fundraising. But secular organizations can also host iftars to give back to Muslim community members who may not traditionally benefit from their services ⁠— the experiences of Muslim-centred organizations provide a roadmap for hosting community iftars successfully.

Yasmine Youssef, director of a shelter network for Muslim women, Nisa Homes, says her team goes “all out” for their community iftars as they are both a bonding and fundraising opportunity. This year, Nisa Homes hosted nine iftars in B.C., Alberta, Ontario and Quebec, each meal accompanied by a religious sermon and a talk from a community member, often a survivor of intimate-partner violence themselves.

“It’s one thing to hear about (survivors’) stories ⁠— it’s a very different thing to hear from someone firsthand,” Youssef says, pointing out that survivors face less stigma and harassment when they share their experiences in person instead of online.

“A lot of people that come to these iftars later on end up being either everyday supporters or volunteers or staff members. They really get more bought in because there’s that personal connection, especially with a cause like ours.”

But that doesn’t mean hosting an iftar is straightforward⁠. Youssef points out that there are only three or four weekends each Ramadan, which sometimes overlap with other holidays, like this year with Easter. Booking a space should be done well in advance.

Youssef also says any programming should happen before the meal ⁠— “everyone’s checked out after they eat” — and be focused. “It’s not a conference, it’s not a lecture. Our speakers were going up for ten, fifteen minutes at the most.”

She also suggests building partnerships with Muslim-centred organizations, both to benefit from their experience and to participate in the communal spirit of Ramadan. 

“That might be a really good opportunity for you to learn from someone else and to develop your own ability to (connect with Muslim communities) in the future.”