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Qatar Charity UK (QCUK) is supporting over 20 charitable organisations across the UK with their Iftar events in its bid to build community cohesion.
On Monday evening QCUK Director General, Ayyoub Abouliaqin, joined the Iftar organised by an innovative student-led charity called the Ramadan Tent Project which this year has extended its reach from the UK to Turkey and Zambia. Each night of Ramadan has seen over 200 participants from across the globe gather in a garden in the heart of London to break fast together. Muslim, non-Muslim – all are welcome.
A special invitation has been extended to the homeless who are invited to share the food provided through the generosity of the supporting charities.
Omar Salha, the founder of the Ramadan Tent Project, currently studying for his PhD at the School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS), University of London, expressed his gratitude to the sponsors. “We are very thankful and grateful for the sponsorship of Qatar Charity UK which is funding part of the project, and to all our supporters including our original and long term sponsors the Muslim World League London Office and the International Islamic Relief Organisation. These organisations have been very helpful in providing the food parcels for Iftar,” he said.
This is the second year for the Ramadan Tent Project which started out as a simple desire by Salha to provide a ‘home away from home’ experience for Muslim students studying in London during Ramadan. It proved very popular and has now blossomed into a large scale event with eighty volunteers giving their time to make Iftar an event to be shared and celebrated not just by Muslim students but people of all faiths. A welcome is extended to the homeless through a link up with St. Mungo’s, a charity that supports homeless people, many of whom have ended up sleeping rough on the streets due to mental health, drug or alcohol problems.
Gulf Times spoke to Shane Harris who lives in a hostel run by St. Mungo’s; he attends the charity’s Broadway Recovery College where he also works as a facilitator. He found out about the Ramadan Tent Iftar evenings from a friend and has attended almost every night.
Speaking about his experience he said: “It doesn’t matter here about your creed or your colour. Can you imagine if the world was like this? There would be no wars. I think that’s what is so beautiful about it.”
Abouliaqin, who has experience of community Iftar events in France where he formerly worked, said the aspect of the Ramadan Tent Project that he most admires is that the fact that it is organised and run by students.
Speaking of the numerous other charitable organisations that QCUK is partnering with over Ramadan, he said: “The reason we are supporting these projects is to develop community cohesion between people of all faiths.”
The organisations that QCUK is partnering with include: Nadi Park Royal, Mayfair Islamic Centre, Muslim Welfare House, Islington, Almanar, West London, Al Furqan and Heraa, Hounslow, Swansea University Mosque, Al Isra, Cardiff, Torquay Mosque, Muaath Trust, Birmingham, Emaan Trust, Sheffield, British Muslim Heritage Centre, Manchester, Doha Mosque, Bradford, Grand Mosque, Leeds and Al Furqan Centre, Glasgow.
For each of the last 10 days of Ramadan, QCUK is making possible the provision of 4,500 meals per day across the UK.
Abouliaqin has encouraged the respective organisations to invite community leaders, councillors, mayors, local MPs and inter-faith representatives to at least one Iftar during Ramadan in order to strengthen community bonds.
Ramadan Tent Project volunteer Heidi Evans, a US citizen from Hawaii studying for her Masters in International Skills and Diplomacy at SOAS, summed up her feelings about the event: “For me it’s been life-changing; learning so much and meeting so many amazing people.”
It’s a sentiment that was echoed by many who attended, including two English work colleagues, Elena Christie and Lara Hayward, who just happened to be passing by on their way home from work. “We were invited in and we feel we should just live like this all the time – it’s absolutely fantastic,” said Christie.
They enjoyed the peaceful, happy atmosphere alongside a big international mix that included people from across the globe. In just one small group there were individuals from Japan, India, Turkey, France, Morocco and the Ivory Coast.
Ramadan Tent Project founder Omar Salha summed up the spirit of the evening.
“It’s a magical atmosphere; our aim is to discover the community spirit and to share it with others.”
