In a scene that reflects tolerance between religions, dozens of Muslims broke their fast on the seventh day of Ramadan in the British Manchester Cathedral Church, where the call to prayer was raised for the first time, and the Latin Monastery Church in the Jordanian city of Salt witnessed a Ramadan Iftar that included about 200 orphaned children.
The Ramadan Iftar at the prestigious British Cathedral was part of a collective Iftar event organized by the Open Iftar Foundation.
The Open Iftar Foundation, a British Islamic institution that organizes collective iftars in the month of Ramadan of each year in various places and events, organized an iftar on Thursday in the presence of a number of Muslim and Christian religious figures.
History was made last night! Over 1,000 people from all faith backgrounds & none attended the @OpenIftar at @ManCathedral.
Beautiful showcase of bridging, belonging & celebrating our community of communities. Appreciation to @deanroggovender @bevcraig for hosting us in MCR! đ pic.twitter.com/Je278ABlTG
â Omar Salha (@o_salha) March 30, 2023
Religious figures gave brief speeches before the iftar, and the organising organisation said the event was a celebration of the difference of British society and a space for everyone from all walks of life and ethnic backgrounds.
Our volunteers busy setting up for this evenings Open Iftar at Manchester Cathedral! #openiftar #ramadanfestival #ramadan2023 pic.twitter.com/T6TG7o7lcB
â Open Iftar (@OpenIftar) March 29, 2023
A video published by the Open Iftar Foundation documented the Maghrib call to prayer at the church before dozens of Muslims and other religions began eating iftars.
Muslims in Britain have launched the "Open Iftar" initiative since the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, and aims to hold Iftar in a number of distinctive landmarks in Britain, such as museums, skyscrapers, football stadiums and others.
The activities of the initiative began on the second day of the holy month - which fell last Friday - at the famous Victoria and Albert Museum, in a precedent that is the first, and the video scenes showed the influx of hundreds of Muslims to the halls of the museum, which were mediated by the iftar tables, while the distinctive paintings and unique architecture of the museum surrounded them.
History was made tonight! The highest altitude @OpenIftar in the UK took place at @22Bishopsgate. Stunning 360 panoramic views of #London, turning strangers into friends & celebrating 10 years of @RamadanTent reaching new heights! đ pic.twitter.com/G2tsUVGDNj
â Omar Salha (@o_salha) March 25, 2023
Last Sunday, the English club Chelsea organized the collective breakfast, which was announced in mid-March, to be the first club to make this step in the history of the English Premier League football.
Iftar witnessed the raising of the Maghrib call to prayer in the stands of the team's stadium "Stamford Bridge" and the performance of prayers in congregation.
According to the British Bureau of Statistics (ONS), the proportion of Muslims in England and Wales has risen by 1.2 million over the last 3 years, bringing the Muslim population to 9.2021 million in <>.
The presence of Muslims in Britain is concentrated in 5 cities, including Birmingham, Bradford and Manchester, and there are more than 250 mosques in the United Kingdom.
The beautiful and powerful sound of the adhan breaks through @22Bishopsgate. We have made history today by having the call to prayer happen in one of the highest points in Europe. #ramadanfestival #makinghistory #openiftar pic.twitter.com/4s93VV5VRi
â Open Iftar (@OpenIftar) March 25, 2023
Banquet and tolerance
In the same context, the Jordanian city of Salt on Thursday held a Ramadan Iftar banquet for dozens of children inside the hall of one of its churches, in which the Maghrib call to prayer was raised to mark the end of the fasting time.
According to Anadolu Agency, the iftar was organized by various local associations in the Latin Monastery Church Hall.
Breakfast included 200 children (Anatolia)
On the sidelines of the iftar, Raya Khleifat, one of the co-organizers of the iftar, said that this event is being held for the second year, and through it we target about 200 orphans, shelter children and national workers.
Khalifat explained that the city of Salt - as in the rest of the Kingdom - since ancient times is characterized by the spirit of intimacy and love among all its spectrums, Muslims and Christians.
Iftar is an affirmation - according to those in charge of it - of the depth of the relationship between Christians and Muslims (Anatolia)
She continued: As you can see, Iftar and the call to prayer are from inside the church hall, and we will repeat this event 3 times during the blessed month of Ramadan.
For his part, Michel Fachhou, president of the "Love and Mercy" association, one of the organizers of the iftar, said that through this event, they wanted to emphasize the message of love and peace and the depth of the ongoing relationship in the local community, Muslims and Christians.
Iftar at the Latin Monastery Church organized by various associations (Anatolia)
Located 30 kilometers west of the capital Amman, the city of Salt is the fourth most populous city in the Kingdom, and was named "Saltos" in ancient times after the Greek commander who conquered it at the time of Alexander of Macedon and built a temple to the god Zeus.
In 2021, the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) approved the inclusion of Salt as a city of tolerance and urban hospitality on the World Heritage List.