Aurora South Stake Joins Muslim Neighbors for Iftar Dinner
By Sage and Sariah Anderson, Aurora South Stake Media Specialists
The Aurora South Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints joined dozens of our Muslim neighbors from the Multicultural Mosaic Foundation to host a Ramadan Iftar dinner together on March 21.
Iftar is the main meal of the fasting day for Muslims observing Ramadan. During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims abstain from eating or drinking from dawn until sunset. The Iftar meal is often eaten together with family and friends as a way to build community.
We shared this “break the fast” meal at sunset and engaged in conversations about what we have in common, comparing fasting traditions and praying together. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ also fast regularly by voluntarily forgoing two meals on the first Sunday of every month. We then donate the cost of those meals to people in need in our community.
The Multicultural Mosaic Foundation is a Colorado based non-profit organization that works with individuals and organizations from all backgrounds and faiths to learn more about each other, cooperate on meaningful projects, and build stronger bonds.
In addition to the Iftar meal, we also assembled hygiene kits for the African Community Center (ACC), a refugee resettlement agency in Denver. We collected specific donations of full-size hygiene items in the weeks leading up to the dinner from the members of The Church of Jesus Christ and members of the Multicultural Mosaic Foundation. We assembled them according to the directions given by the African Community Center and donated 15 large kits that the ACC will give to families that are arriving in the United States.
Our goal was to increase understanding and a feeling of community between our two faith traditions. We enjoyed an evening of increased understanding, good food and great conversation. We hope to be able to continue this dinner in years to come, as well as to work with the Multicultural Mosaic Foundation on other projects and challenges in the community.
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