Bradford's Muslim and Jewish communities come together for Iftar

Strengthening Faith Institutions welcomed those from Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Sikh, and Buddhist faiths to the historic Manningham Mills.

It was not only a night of solidarity and humanity, but a way to explore each other’s traditions and cultures.

Guests of different faiths, races, and ages took a seat at the tables.

Conversations over food (Image: UGC)

What is iftar and Ramadan?

Ramadan, the ninth month in the Muslim calendar, refers to a sacred time when the Holy Quran was sent down from Heaven. Those who observe Ramadan often fast from sunrise to sunset, an opportunity for deepening faith and seeking repentance for past sins. 

Before fasting, Muslims may wake up before dawn for the meal, Suhoor. Iftar is the meal eaten at sundown upon breaking one’s fast.

Safina Aziz, chair of the Professional Muslim Institute, said: “We are all deeply pained by what is happening in Palestine and Israel. We are here to express our shared commitment to protecting the relationship between our communities.

“British Muslims and Jews have much in common and there are many personal ties between us.  We have celebrated happy times together and stood together in solidarity during challenging times.”

People came together to listen to moving speeches (Image: UGC)

Dr Javed Bashir, of Strengthening Faith Institutions, said: “Regardless of religion, race, or station in life, we all share common aspirations: to live in peace, security, and dignity; to help build a better world for our families and communities; and, to reach out and lift the less fortunate in communities around the world. 

"Ramadan, a time of devotion, charity, and reflection, is about that shared commitment. By joining together, we can overcome conflict and injustice, ignorance, and prejudice – not just with words, but with deeds.

“We pray for an end to this war and all wars, we pray for the innocent caught up in the carnage, and we pray for the safety of everyone, wherever they are.”

As sunset approached, Imam Hafiz Mohammed Azad, Chief Imam at Al-Hira Mosque in Bradford, performed prayers for opening the fast, signalling the time to break the fast. 

The event gave people space to talk and connect (Image: All photos by Javed Bashir)

Guests were served with dates to open their fast and proceeded with their meal, prayers, and conversations over a shared meal. 

This was followed by prayer by the Imam and Rabbi for the peace in the world, with the attendees joining in solidarity.

Richard Stroud MBE, a trustee at Bradford Synagogue, added: “There’s so much that we have in common between Muslim and Jewish faiths.

"It is through events like this one that Muslim and Jewish communities not only overcome challenges but also develop a strong sense of solidarity and cooperation which can prevail over the hatred that we may find worldwide.”

Laurence Saffer, the president of the Leeds Jewish representative council, described the similarities between practising Islam and Judaism and said the event showed “what we do” in Bradford.

Addressing the 80-strong audience at the community centre, he said: “I talk about the elephant in the room, which is Israel and the Palestinians.

"We have to talk about what we believe. Because when the Jewish community talks and somebody asks me, ‘does the Jewish community believe that the Palestinians have the right to self-determination?’, the answer is a resounding yes. We do. We fully support that.

“When members continue to ask, ‘do you believe that the Jewish people are entitled to self-determination?’, the answer invariably is yes, we do. We respect your rights.

“Then we say: actually, what do we disagree about as people living here in the United Kingdom? It’s often things like borders or the status of Jerusalem – which, in reality, I don’t have any influence over and neither do our Muslim friends. So when we break it down and say the things that we don’t agree on, surely there’s very little.”