On Tuesday, 28th March 2023, we had a beautiful gathering by our Interfaith Clifton Road Mosque, in collaboration with Nisa Nashim, sharing some insightful conversations around fasting during the glorious month of Ramadhan to purify our souls and connect with our souls. Sis Dr Bilkis Khwaja introduced the program and shared her thoughts on the Muslim fasting, which is also observed during Easter, Passover to purify to seek proximity to God.
Some of the points that Rabbi Shoshana Kaminsky mentioned in this gathering amongst the other Jewish women present – Passover (or Pesach in Hebrew) remembers the time when Jews were slaves in Egypt, and after the ten plagues, Moses led them out to freedom when the Red Sea parted. Jewish people gather to re-tell the story together at home at the Seder meal, including symbolic foods presented on a Seder plate. Our tradition is to remember and tell the story as if we lived it now in the present day and to recognise that no one is truly free while slavery still exists today
The first week of April of 2023 is a special moment among the three Abrahamic faith traditions–Judaism, Christianity, and Islam–as major annual observances will overlap this year. Muslims will be continuing through their spiritual month during which they purify their intentions, seeking proximity to God through collective prayers and having Iftar at the mosque.
For Muslims, it is also a month of seeking forgiveness from God for our lapses and thinking of those who are deprived, especially being kind, showing compassion, being extra charitable by sharing our blessings for those who are deprived especially the orphans and widows. As people of faith, we embody the rich ethos of our prophets and great sages to reach out by providing them with Iftar meals to families that are struggling financially and those living under poverty line and in war torn countries in this holy month of Ramadhan.
On April 2nd, Christians will celebrate Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week leading up to redemption on Easter Sunday with the resurrection of Jesus. On April 5th, Jews will celebrate their liberation from bondage during the feast of Passover.
We were honoured to receive Rabbi Shoshana Kaminsky all the way from Australia who shared her thoughts on Passover.
Our meeting ended with some profound conversations and concluded with prayers and breaking our fast together and sharing our Iftar at the Al- Abbas Islamic Centre.
Our special guests felt very welcomed and thoroughly our mosque’s ambience and the hospitality from our amazing volunteers who serve all with so much passion and smiles.
We pray for God’s Light to enter our hearts, give us more support, and bless us all with unity between faiths and continue to foster real conversations and have peaceful dialogues.
With peace and prayers
Sis Nasim Walji Pirmohamed
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