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Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer speaks during the Fourth Annual Iftar Dinner to mark the end of Ramadan on August 9th at the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center. PHOTO: Courtesy of the office of the Manhattan borough president
Story by Cassandra Gallese
The lobby of The Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center was packed this past Tues., August 9th, as the Muslim community of northern Manhattan joined together in collective prayer to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting. Just moments before prayer, attendees had gathered upstairs where trays piled high with dates were passed around so that they might break their fast with the traditional food.
Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer’s Fourth Annual Iftar Dinner brought together Muslim and non-Muslim residents alike on West 168th Street and Broadway to celebrate the Islamic holiday and honor several members of the community. The diverse crowd, some clad in traditional Muslim dress, sat together at six long tables stretching the length of the room.
The dinner was attended by about 200 guests, according to the Borough President’s Director of Special Events Hilary Nemchik.
Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, commemorates the month in which Muslims believe Allah revealed the first verses of the Qur’an, the holy book of Islam, to the prophet Muhammad. The “blessed month” involves prayer, fasting, and charity and ends with the three-day festival, Eid al-Fitr, which begins with Iftar, the breaking of the fast.
Council Member Robert Jackson, the first Muslim on the New York City Council, spoke at Tuesday’s event. “Fasting is one of the pillars of Islam. It teaches us the sacrifice and dedication our religion calls for,” he explained.
Qasim Basir, director of the film MOOZ-lum and another speaker at the event, echoed this sentiment while sharing memories of his Ramadan experiences as a Muslim child growing up in New York. Remembering how young friends used to jokingly wave sandwiches in his face as he attempted to fast in the school cafeteria or recalling football practices during Ramadan that ended with Basir fainting, he said those early Ramadans instilled in him a discipline that has served him well in facing challenges in his adult life.
A representative from the Muslim Foundation of America encouraged Tuesday’s audience to come out for the Muslim Day Parade on September 25th, saying it would be an opportunity to show the unity and peacefulness of the community and correct inaccurate media portrayals of Islam. A representative from Islamic Relief spoke about the current famine in Somalia, asking for support and reminding guests that many Muslims in the world would not have any food with which to break their fast this Iftar.
Honorees at Tuesday’s event included Rachel Cooper, director of cultural programs and performing arts at Asia Society; Zeyba Rahman, artistic advisor at The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Yusef Ramelize, artist and activist against homelessness; Sakeenah, a legal-ethical consultative and mediating entity; and the Turkish Cultural Center of New York, an organization devoted to promoting cross-cultural understanding.
Following prayer, guests returned to their tables to dine together and enjoy one another’s company.
As Zead Ramadan, chairman of the board of directors at The Shabazz Center and co-moderator of the event, explained, “It is part of our culture and tradition to break fast with family and friends.”
“I’m a proud sponsor of this important event. It’s always important to bring the community together, especially during Ramadan,” said Borough President Scott Stringer.
The Manhattan Borough President’s Fourth Annual Iftar Dinner was co-sponsored by Council of African Imams, Council of Peoples Organization, Council on American Islamic Relations-NY, Islamic Cultural Center of NY, Islamic Relief, Dalia Mahmoud, Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center, Muslim Consultative Network, Muslim Day Parade, Muslim Public Affairs Council-NY, Women in Islam Inc., and X-Café.
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