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The Cambridge Community Iftar, a traditional evening meal when Muslims break their fast after sunset during the holy month of Ramadan, recently drew a record crowd to the Cambridge Street Upper School. Ramadan is a period of spiritual reflection, communal prayer, and contemplation of the Quran. The event was attended by hundreds of people representing the city’s diverse population, who filled the auditorium to capacity.
Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui welcomed the crowd, along with local officials, and highlighted the efforts of the many groups that collaborated to make the event successful. The Mayor also acknowledged that the past year had been challenging for many members of the Muslim community, especially in light of the tragic shooting of Arif Sayed Faisal, who was shot by police while reportedly suffering from mental distress in early January. She urged attendees to keep Faisal and his family in their prayers.
Cambridge Public School superintendent Victoria Greer also spoke at the event, expressing her pleasure at celebrating and recognizing such a sacred time of reflection, fasting, and celebration. She acknowledged that she felt blessed to serve the community and its children, as well as the entire Cambridge community.
City Manager Yi-An Huang emphasized that Ramadan is central to the spiritual lives of many people around the world and in Cambridge. He noted that it was important for everyone to come together as a community to remember Faisal and to take steps against such tragedies in the future.
Katrina Kincade, a reporter for WBZ-TV and the first Muslim to win Miss Massachusetts, spoke about how she travels statewide to teach people how Islam is based on kindness and acceptance. She shared stories of her visits to the Cambridge YMCA and the city’s Amigos School, where she read a book called “The Proudest Blue,” which tells the story of a young girl wearing a hijab for the first time. Kincade expressed her pleasure at seeing such a diverse community with many incredible role models and influential people.
Zulikha Rashid, a seventh-grader at the Rindge Avenue Upper School, recited Verse 185 from the Quran in Arabic and English to provide guidance on the nature and reasons for fasting. Fayez Khwaja, the Muslim spiritual adviser at the Center for Spirituality, Dialogue and Service at Northeastern University, spoke about a verse that enjoins fasting on the Muslim community “as it was enjoined on those before you.“ He noted that almost all religions have some form of fasting, and that what makes fasting during Ramadan unique is its length and strenuousness. Khwaja emphasized that fasting can focus the mind by disciplining the body and lifting up the spirit. He noted that breaking bread together is the best way to build friendships and community.
During the event, those who were fasting were offered water and dates before the start of the evening prayer, called Maghrib. Men and boys, as well as women and small children, prayed separately in the school’s two gyms. After the prayers, the crowd was joined by newcomers who continued to stream into the school, filling the main cafeteria. Tables were set up in adjacent areas and rooms to accommodate relaxing and eating at communal tables.
Mughul’s Catering, which specializes in traditional Indian, Pakistani, and Bengali cuisine and is owned by Cambridge resident Sabera Gafur and her daughter Nilofar Shaikh, provided dinner for the event for the first time. They provided more than 750 halal meals – food prepared in accordance with Muslim law – with butter chicken or vegetarian channa masala (chickpea curry) entrees. Pizza was also provided for those who preferred a simpler dinner.
The event was held in partnership by the Islamic Society of Boston, The City of Cambridge Employee Committee on Diversity, the Office of Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, the Muslim
