Coming together over food is timeless.
Recently, the Pembina Valley’s Muslim community embraced this tradition to build bridges. The gesture took the form of inviting special guests to iftar.
A special iftar
Iftar is the fast-breaking meal during Ramadan, during which period the Muslim community fasts from dawn until sunset (this year, the religious observance was from February 28th to March 29th).
Recently, the invitation to attend iftar was extended to friends and dignitaries in the area.
“Since the start of Ramadan, we have been trying to [create] community,” says Syed Faizan Nasir, a resident of Morden and one of the founding members and the director of the Pembina Valley Islamic Society (PVIS).
“The purpose of this iftar was to invite people from different faiths and to give them a little more knowledge about Islam and the importance and significance of the mosque in the community.”
A visit from Morden-Winkler MLA, Morden mayor
Nasir says that some of the guests in attendance included Morden-Winkler MLA Carrie Hiebert, Morden mayor Nancy Penner, and other “friends who are from different religions.”
“There were Christians and Hindus, and they loved it,” he says. “[It was] actually very inspiring for all of us. We also go to their prayers, and we also respect every religion. This is to show that we are very peaceful people.”
Nasir says the environment was one of mutual respect. He appreciates that.
“It is a great honour for us that people join us,” he says. “They really give us good words, especially Mayor Nancy Penner. She was busy somewhere, but she left that evening, and she came here just to join us in this.”
In addition to sharing a meal, the local imam (a leadership role in Islam that includes leading prayer) also informed guests about what prayer in a mosque looks like and gave what Nasir calls a “demonstration” of the religious centre’s practices.
Related stories:
- ‘It’s like Christmas in the Muslim community,’ says PVIS director about Eid celebration
- Morden’s first mosque: A historic chapter for Pembina Valley’s Muslim community begins
For Nasir, this was a highlight—partially because the local imam is known for the “melodious” and beautiful voice he uses for Quran recitation.
After the prayer portion of the special day, Nasir says a representative from the Muslim community passed out leaflets from the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) to “clear some of the misconceptions about Islam.”
A growing community
The special iftar is just one of the ways the Muslim community has been connecting with and becoming a part of the broader community of the Pembina Valley since the mosque in Morden was established a few years ago.
“We have seen [a] lot of people coming after the prayer. They are just sitting and talking, and in the last two or three months, I have seen ... three people who got a job through the mosque — they are meeting each other, [and], in this way, they are connecting with each other, and we are helping each other.”
Other projects at the mosque in Morden
As Nasir and the Muslim community continue to forge links with the community, they are working on other projects to do this.
One of their concerns is caring for refugees. Nasir says that the mosque regularly connects donations to the families nearby that need it the most.
The centre has also begun programming to educate children in the Muslim community about Islam.
In the end, all the efforts serve the purpose of being active in the area, becoming acquainted with others, and allowing others to become acquainted with the mosque.
“We're trying to interact in different ways in the community so that the people around us who are not Muslims [can know] what activities are going on,” says Nasir.
To see updates on PVIS and Morden’s mosque, see their Facebook page here.
