Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Open Iftar project brings together people from all cultures and faiths

By NADEEM BADSHAH

IT IS A warm summer evening and hundreds of people of all races and religions are sitting on the ground to break their fast with burger and chips to mark Ramadan.


They are not in the grounds of a mosque or someone's house, but in a large tent where guests of any background are invited.

The award-winning Ramadan Tent Project's (RTP) Open Iftar, which has been held in central London and Manchester during the holy month, has led to a growing number of non-Muslims going without food or drink until around 9 pm.

Turkish kebabs, rice and pasta are some items cooked each night for people to tuck into while they listen to a guest speaker. An imam, a Christian pastor and Jewish rabbi have all addressed the gathering.

Between 300 and 450 people have attended such events, including those of other faiths wanting to try fasting for up to 19 hours with their Muslim friends and work colleagues.

Omar Salha, founder and director of the RTP (Ramadan Tent Project), told Eastern Eye: “Through the act of sharing a meal we can bring people together.

“I have come across Muslims who are regulars at Open Iftar bringing friends and they end up fasting and breaking the fast together.

“They come back and bring more friends and colleagues. They share the experience out of solidarity, fasting 19 hours a day.

“It can be quite humbling. They say to me “We found it difficult, how on earth do you manage to do it for 30 days?”

Since the first RTP Open Iftar in London in 2013, similar projects have been held in Istanbul, Toronto, Portland in the US and Zambia.

Salha, a PHD student at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London, said one of the aims of the scheme is to foster a community spirit.

“Our slogan is ‘discover the community spirit’. Everyone is welcome irrespective of their culture, backgrounds, beliefs.

“It provides more impetus to do the work in the current climate, we see how the faith is portrayed in the wrong light. Muslims engaging the community and our neighbours, what Ramadan and Islam means.

“We’re bringing people together. We all have preconceived ideas, but as soon as you have a conversation with someone, those ideas are thrown out of the window.”

The trend of people from other religions fasting has spread to offices around the country.

Dami Idowu, 28, decided to fast for Ramadan to see what her Muslim friends were experiencing.

The finance worker from London told Eastern Eye: “I really admired the reasons given for fasting.

“The most difficult part for me was not being able to have water, and the lack of energy I had towards the end of the day.

“It made it a bit harder to concentrate. My fasting friends offered a lot of encouragement, they checked I was doing okay throughout.

“Overall, I felt really humbled by the experience. It really forced me to reflect on the things I have and should be grateful for and think more about those in needs.”

Dami’s friend Saheena Ahmed, 27, said: “I was impressed when Dami expressed her interest in Ramadan.

“It was encouraging and motivating to be among friends and colleagues who were fasting.

“We arranged iftar [evening meal] together at a restaurant so that gave us something to look forward to."

More For You

Shabana Mahmood

Shabana Mahmood (Photo: Getty Images)

Calls grow for Shabana Mahmood to toughen settlement rules

HOME SECRETARY Shabana Mahmood is under pressure to immediately enforce stricter immigration rules as large numbers of migrants approach the point at which they can settle permanently in Britain.

Government figures revealed that from next year about 270,000 migrants will qualify for indefinite leave to remain (ILR), the legal right to stay in the UK. The number is expected to rise sharply, reaching more than 600,000 by 2028, reported the Times.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kamala Harris calls Biden’s 2024 run ‘recklessness’ in new memoir

Former US vice president Kamala Harris speaks at the Emerge 20th Anniversary Gala in San Francisco, California, on April 30, 2025. (Photo by CAMILLE COHEN/AFP via Getty Images)

Kamala Harris calls Biden’s 2024 run ‘recklessness’ in new memoir

FORMER US vice president Kamala Harris said it was "recklessness" to let Joe Biden run for a second term as president, in an excerpt released on Wednesday (10) from her upcoming memoir.

Harris -- who replaced Biden as the 2024 Democratic presidential candidate but lost to Donald Trump -- admitted that the then-81-year-old got "tired" and was prone to stumbles that showed his age.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tejasvi Manoj

Manoj, from Frisco, Texas, created an innovation called ‘Shield Seniors’, a website designed to help people over 60 identify and report fraudulent messages and emails. (Photo credit: LinkedIn/Tejasvi Manoj)

Indian-American teen Tejasvi Manoj named Time’s ‘Kid of the Year’ 2025

SEVENTEEN-year-old Indian-American Tejasvi Manoj has been named Time magazine’s ‘Kid of the Year’ for 2025 for her work on protecting senior citizens from online scams.

Manoj, from Frisco, Texas, created an innovation called ‘Shield Seniors’, a website designed to help people over 60 identify and report fraudulent messages and emails.

Keep ReadingShow less
Mark Rowley

Met chief Sir Mark Rowley (Photo: Getty Images)

Police watchdog calls for end to recording non-crime hate incidents

THE head of the police inspectorate has said that non-crime hate incidents should be scrapped, arguing that officers must draw a clear line between what is offensive and what is criminal.

Sir Andy Cooke, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary, made the comments as he released his annual report on the state of policing in England and Wales. He said that while much of the public expect officers to tackle serious crime and anti-social behaviour, too much time is being spent on matters that do not amount to criminality.

Keep ReadingShow less
 University of Kent

The Office for Students welcomed the move, saying more universities may look at mergers as many face financial difficulties. (Photo credit: University of Kent)

University of Kent

Kent and Greenwich to merge into UK’s first regional university group

THE UNIVERSITIES of Kent and Greenwich will merge in 2026 to form the UK’s first regional “super-university”.

The new institution, to be called the London and South East University Group, will have one vice-chancellor and around 50,000 students, the BBC reported.

Keep ReadingShow less