Food Basics acknowledges the important role that sharing a meal can have in building community. That's why this Ramadan, Food Basics is collaborating with the Sayyidah Zainab Muslim Community Centre in Ajax to assist multi-faith Ontarians in Celebrating! Sharing! Enjoying! the sacred month, uniting diverse cultures and flavors through communal experiences and learning.
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Last week, diverse GTA residents gathered in Ajax for an inspiring, interfaith iftar event, hosted by the Sayyidah Zainab Muslim Community Centre in collaboration with Food Basics. This marked the first time in the history of ISCC affiliate masjids (mosques) that a major Canadian corporation sponsored the entire program.
While Islam is the second most popular religion in Ajax and Muslims are the fastest-growing religious group in the country, there are many local Ontario communities where a child is one of a handful of Muslims in their school or an employee is the only one praying in their place of work. Unfortunately, this can make celebrations like Ramadan feel isolating when the holy month is meant to be a time of bringing people together.
This is a first for the grocery chain who believes that by helping diverse populations learn from one another, Food Basics can play a role in equiping more Ontarians to not only understand but also better support and share in the Ramadan traditions of their Muslim neighbours.
On April 4th - both onsite and virtually via livestream - multi-faith guests of every age gathered to hear from Muslim community leaders, like Shayan, gaining the knowledge to not only understand, but also to better support and share in the traditions of their Muslim neighbours. The night kicked off with Arabic and English readings of the Quran, followed by a speech by the masjid’s Calgary-based chairman and an open-floor Q&A discussion. The chairman: Syed Soharwardy aka ‘the walking imam,’ completed a 6,500km multi-faith walk against violence across the country in 2008 and continues to be at the forefront of the conversation on interfaith connection over a decade later.
“The idea of an interfaith iftar is to reflect and reconnect with the wider community and to remind ourselves that faith is not an isolated task but instead something which inspires - and is inspired - by the community,” explains Shayan Khurshid, volunteer events manager at the Sayyidah Zainab Muslim Community Centre.
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Following speeches, guests enjoyed a traditional iftar (a fast-breaking meal) from a local, Muslim-owned caterer, and Muslim guests conducted nightly prayers while non-Muslim guests observed. The night concluded with further mingling amongst the community, with Ramadan crafts engaging children in the celebrations. Multi-faith guests went home with a full heart and stomach, gifted Qurans, and delicious Ramadan flyer goodies from Food Basics.
Photo Gallery:
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Agencies behind Food Basics and the Sayyidah Zainab Muslim Community Centre celebration?
- Agencies - Agnostic
- Brand - Food Basics
(click on the link to view the agency's Vendor Directory listing)
