Ramadan being observed in Canterbury with community iftars
Canterbury is buzzing with positive collaboration this month, which will culminate in the Eid Carnival in Christchurch on June 16, at the Lincoln Events Centre, where Canterbury Muslim Community Trust (CMCT), Muslim Association of Canterbury (MAC), and National Islamic Sister Assembly (NISA), all coming together to celebrate the festival of Eid.
Till that time, every night in Ramadan, Masjid Al-Nur at Deans Avenue in Riccarton, and Masjid Linwood, are hosting potluck style community iftars.
Also, in an effort to bring more and more people together, CMCT has been organising weekend community iftars at the Te Hapua Community Centre in Halswell. The first one was held on May 19, followed by May 26, then on June 3, and the last one – just before Eid – would be on June 9.
In addition, the Pakistan Association of Canterbury, which also organised its own community iftar on June 3, will be hosting an Eid dinner on June 16.
Notably, according to the 2013 census, over 3,250 Muslims from 40 different nationalities call Canterbury their home. And with Ramadan and the upcoming Eid Carnival, it provides an excellent opportunity for the communities to know each other, as well as for the wider community to know more about Islam.
Rob Dewhirst, chairman of CMCT, sharing details about the multicultural family-friendly pot-luck format iftars being organised by his organisation, added, “All our functions are being attended by hundreds of people, with each one having it’s own focus. Like on May 26, we had the Egyptian community showcasing how Ramadan is celebrated back home. Then on June 3, the Indonesian and Moroccan community pitched in with food and decorations. With such a good vibe, it has been a positive experience for everyone attending. Now all of us are looking forward to the Eid Carnival on June 16. With so many community organisations coming together to organise it, I am sure it will be a great success.”
The organisers also shared details about what normally happens in a community iftar. “A little after 5pm we break our fasts, and do the maghrib prayers together. This is followed by sharing the main meal and catching up with friends. Later, we have the teraweh prayer before finishing and tidying up.”
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CMCT’s Building Bridges programme
Every year, as part of it’s Building Bridges programme, CMCT hosts an educational session for students from the New Zealand Broadcasting School located at Ara Institute of Technology. This year too, 25 students and their tutor got a chance to visit the Masjid Al-Nur, learn about the importance of the month of Ramadan, and get all their Islam-related queries answered by Imam Gamal of the Masjid. “We believe that it is important to provide opportunities for young journalists to learn more about Islam, our local Muslim community and to discuss the impact that media plays in shaping public perception. The students value the chance to interact on a personal level and to ask anything they want in an open and friendly environment. As this year the visit coincided with Ramadan, the students were invited to the mosque to experience a Ramadan iftar and to meet members of the Christchurch Muslim community,” noted CMCT in a Facebook post. |
Canterbury is buzzing with positive collaboration this month, which will culminate in the Eid Carnival in Christchurch on June 16, at the Lincoln Events Centre, where Canterbury Muslim Community Trust (CMCT), Muslim Association of Canterbury (MAC), and National Islamic Sister Assembly (NISA), all...
Canterbury is buzzing with positive collaboration this month, which will culminate in the Eid Carnival in Christchurch on June 16, at the Lincoln Events Centre, where Canterbury Muslim Community Trust (CMCT), Muslim Association of Canterbury (MAC), and National Islamic Sister Assembly (NISA), all coming together to celebrate the festival of Eid.
Till that time, every night in Ramadan, Masjid Al-Nur at Deans Avenue in Riccarton, and Masjid Linwood, are hosting potluck style community iftars.
Also, in an effort to bring more and more people together, CMCT has been organising weekend community iftars at the Te Hapua Community Centre in Halswell. The first one was held on May 19, followed by May 26, then on June 3, and the last one – just before Eid – would be on June 9.
In addition, the Pakistan Association of Canterbury, which also organised its own community iftar on June 3, will be hosting an Eid dinner on June 16.
Notably, according to the 2013 census, over 3,250 Muslims from 40 different nationalities call Canterbury their home. And with Ramadan and the upcoming Eid Carnival, it provides an excellent opportunity for the communities to know each other, as well as for the wider community to know more about Islam.
Rob Dewhirst, chairman of CMCT, sharing details about the multicultural family-friendly pot-luck format iftars being organised by his organisation, added, “All our functions are being attended by hundreds of people, with each one having it’s own focus. Like on May 26, we had the Egyptian community showcasing how Ramadan is celebrated back home. Then on June 3, the Indonesian and Moroccan community pitched in with food and decorations. With such a good vibe, it has been a positive experience for everyone attending. Now all of us are looking forward to the Eid Carnival on June 16. With so many community organisations coming together to organise it, I am sure it will be a great success.”
The organisers also shared details about what normally happens in a community iftar. “A little after 5pm we break our fasts, and do the maghrib prayers together. This is followed by sharing the main meal and catching up with friends. Later, we have the teraweh prayer before finishing and tidying up.”
|
CMCT’s Building Bridges programme
Every year, as part of it’s Building Bridges programme, CMCT hosts an educational session for students from the New Zealand Broadcasting School located at Ara Institute of Technology. This year too, 25 students and their tutor got a chance to visit the Masjid Al-Nur, learn about the importance of the month of Ramadan, and get all their Islam-related queries answered by Imam Gamal of the Masjid. “We believe that it is important to provide opportunities for young journalists to learn more about Islam, our local Muslim community and to discuss the impact that media plays in shaping public perception. The students value the chance to interact on a personal level and to ask anything they want in an open and friendly environment. As this year the visit coincided with Ramadan, the students were invited to the mosque to experience a Ramadan iftar and to meet members of the Christchurch Muslim community,” noted CMCT in a Facebook post. |
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