Breaking Bread Together and Promoting Dialogue Between the Two Faiths

On Thursday July 2nd, Orange County chapter of Pacifica Institute had the pleasure of co-hosting an Iftar dinner with University United Methodist Church in Irvine with the aim of breaking bread together and promoting dialogue between the two faiths. The church congregation welcomed Pacifica members with big smiles and warm hearts. Conversations started right away as if both parties were long lost friends. Everyone was so immersed in conversation, Lead Pastor Paige Eaves had to wait awhile for everyone to be seated.

Pastor Paige began the evening with welcoming Pacifica members and touched upon the importance of coming together and learning from each other.

After Pastor Paige’s wonderful remarks, a Pacifica volunteer gave a short speech on the significance of the month of Ramadan for Muslims around the world. A short video on Ramadan was also projected to elucidate some terminology associated with Ramadan and further illustrate the importance and meaning of Ramadan.

With the end of the video, the sun was about to set so everyone was invited to help themselves to the food prepared and brought by Pacifica volunteers. Being the gracious and understanding of hosts the church congregation offered those who had been fasting all day to go ahead first. The delicious meal and warm conversations were followed by delightful dessert prepared by the Church congregation.

At the end of the night, Pastor Paige was kind enough to offer her guests a tour of the Church which included all five buildings. She mentioned the history of the Church as well as highlighting the different services they have, including Japanese and Korean. Pastor Paige emphasized how they shared their space with others and graciously offered space for Pacifica members to pray there also.

This was the first of hopefully many more joint events and dinners between University United Methodist Church and Pacifica Institute. In fact, both organizations are hoping to make Iftar dinners an annual tradition to build on the newly formed friendships.

Reflection: Family Iftar Dinner with Eruyan Family

On the 21^st day of Ramadan Sunday January 5^th, Cem and Ilknur Eruyan hosted an interfaith Iftar dinner. Pacifica Institute, invited individuals from all religious groups to join them at the dinner table to break the fast. The Iftar meal is served once the sunsets. This is considered the holiest time.

Ramadan is a social time for Muslims and is celebrated with elaborate meals. ‘Meal time’ was at sunset, around 8:02 that night. The first dish was lentil soup and water, followed by multiple dishes of baklava, salad, peppers with rice, and dates. After, the main dish of beef and mashed potatoes was served.

The purpose of fasting for Muslims is to help focus one’s thoughts to God during the day. Once food is served at the end of the day, one is able to meditate upon food and appreciate it more.

When the meal was finished Mr. Eruyan left the diner table to pray. He performed a series of chants to himself while bowing and standing. Mrs. Eruyan went to prepare the desert and Turkish tea.

The Eruyan’s house was decorated with traditional Islamic art.  Mr. Eruyan explained that one piece of art represented the coexistence of Muslims, Jews, and Catholics.  The picture depicted all three religions praying in their own religious buildings. This gave way to conversations about religion.

The guests compared religions to search for similarities. It was noted that Muslims and Catholics held many similar values and stories. For example, the story of Johan and the Whale are similar, as well as the belief in angels and the afterlife.

Guests shared their experience with intercultural interactions. One guests shared her experience in India. She recalled her friends warning her that there was excessive poverty to enjoy the country. However, she said once she reached outside her comfort zone she was able to find the beauty within the country. Ilknur then shared her experience in her children’s elementary school. She shared that some mothers would not talk to her because she wore a headdress. She chuckled the words, “I’m harmless!” She then said, once the mothers got to know her they became friends.

Many form their perceptions of Muslims off of media coverage on extremism. The family expressed that extremist actions are not religious. They emphasized the peaceful teachings of Islam.

“I could not imagine raising my children and teaching them acts of violence from extremism,” Mrs. Eruyan said.  

Pacifica Institute encourages non-Muslims to experience an Iftar dinner during Ramadan in the homes of other Muslims. The dinners are held with hopes to diminish cultural boundaries. Food, drink, and conversation symbolized intercultural tolerance and communication.  

For me, the experience was refreshing. The intentions of the Eruyan family were whole-hearted as they fed strangers at their table. However, we left not as strangers, but as friends.

Emily Quiles

A Post Ramadan Lesson: Two Boys Forgo a Royal Feast

Rabbi Allen S. Maller

Once upon a time a King went out to hunt on a very warm day in the Fall of 2007. After a few hours he felt very hot and tired, so he decided to stop for lunch. His servants unpacked a large picnic basket they had brought with them and set up a table.

Ramadhan and Fasting

Özgür Koca*

Ramadhan, the ninth month of lunar calendar, is a time of joy, generosity, compassion, and breaking bread with others.

At the heart of Islamic belief stands the reality of God, the One, who is at once transcendent and immanent, greater than all we can conceive or imagine yet closer to us than our own consciousness. From the realization that this world is a message from God, a desire flows forth to establish a link between human spirit and God. Religious practices such as fasting, supplications, prayers in its myriad forms, and charity serve precisely to this purpose of relating human spirit and its creator. As such, fasting, although in different forms, exists in almost all religious traditions. Jews practice fasting on Yom Kipur, it is an integral part of Hinduism, Buddhists monks and nuns frequently practice it, many Christian denominations practice it and so on.

Ramadan is ending, but fasting endures

Nadeem Badshah

Eid is finally here. Long hot days made Ramadan tougher for British Muslims this year, but fasting is growing in popularity.

No food or drink for around 18 hours, waking up at 3am each morning – and all during the hottest summer in years. This has been the challenge for British Muslims over the past four weeks of Ramadan, the month of fasting. Over the next couple of days Muslims worldwide will celebrate Eid to mark the end of this period when the body and mind has been tested to its limits.

In redemption days hoping for better

Arzu Kaya Uranli

“If the brain and the belly are burning clean with fasting, every moment a new song comes out of the fire. The fog clears, and a new energy makes you run up the steps in front of you.”
-Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi

Pope Francis' Ramadan Greetings For Eid Al-Fitr Sets Interfaith Example

Yasmine Hafiz

Pope Francis personally reached out to Muslims around the world with Id al-Fitr greetings for the holiday that concludes the holy month of Ramadan. While the message has been traditional since 1967, usually the greetings are sent by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, except for Pope John Paul II's similarly personal good wishes in 1991.

Celebrating the Spirit of Ramadan from Turkey to America

Joshua W. Walker

Growing up the son of a protestant pastor and valuing the role that my Christian faith plays in my own life, it often comes as a surprise to my friends when I tell them that Ramadan is among one of my favorite religious holidays. While Christmas and Easter are seminal to my faith tradition and represent some of my fondest memories growing up, they are one-day celebrations that in the American modern era sometimes lack the communal feel that the holy month of Ramadan offers in the Muslim world.

[The Outsider] A peaceful Ramadan for three

Elsie Alan

We are more than halfway through Ramadan 2013. While the world at large gets more and more out of control, our little corner of Turkey has remained peaceful and observant.

You haven't seen many quieter places than our little village is now, believe me. Even the all-summer-every-summer picnickers at the castle are low key, quietly setting up their little barbeques to heat the soup and grill the meat for iftar (fast-breaking meal). After iftar, the music being played outdoors -- sometimes from car radios, sometimes from live musicians -- is heavy on the Turkish and Kurdish folk music and light on rap music and the other THUMP, THUMP, THUMP beats so beloved by young men with very strong woofers in their automotive sound systems.

Ramadan Wishes From A Muslim To A Catholic Will Warm Your Heart

Yasmine Hafiz

This family has shown the entire Internet the best way to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan.
A Reddit user posted this picture on July 11, 2013, captioned, "I'm Catholic, but I received this from a coworker this morning - happy Ramadan!"

Ramadan 2013: Facts, History, Dates, Greeting and Rules of the Muslim Fast

What are the dates of Ramadan?

Because the cycle of the lunar calendar does not match the solar calendar, the dates of Ramadan shifts by approximately 11 days each year. In 2011, Ramadan began on August 1st. In 2012 Ramadan began on July 20th. In 2013, Ramadan is expected to begin on the evening of July 8th with the first full day of fasting on July 9th.

Being Shaped by Ramadan

Fethullah Gülen

At this time when we experience occasions of much sorrow and some contentment, we sense the promise in the advent of Ramadan, the month of mercy and forgiveness. In the climate of this month of light, we feel both spring and autumn at the same time in our inner worlds, seasons of lovely expectations and longing.

Fasting can help protect against brain diseases, scientists say

Robin McKie

Fasting for regular periods could help protect the brain against degenerative illnesses, according to US scientists.

Researchers at the National Institute on Ageing in Baltimore said they had found evidence which shows that periods of stopping virtually all food intake for one or two days a week could protect the brain against some of the worst effects of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other ailments.

What Catholics can learn from the Qur'an

Kathleen K. Duff *

This year during Ramadan -- the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar when Muslims believe the Quran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad -- I was in solidarity with my Muslim sisters and brothers throughout the world by reading the Quran. But here's the thing: I am a Roman Catholic.

Representatives of non-Muslim foundations gather at iftar in Ankara

Non-Muslim foundations hosted an iftar (fast-breaking) dinner on Tuesday in the Turkish capital of Ankara, with Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç and Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Deputy Chairman Hüseyin Çelik in attendance.

Ramadan tent set up in Russian capital to promote dialogue

A Ramadan tent set up in the Russian capital of Moscow started to offer iftars (fast-breaking meals) on Monday and festive Ramadan activities for locals and Muslims who live in the city.

The Ramadan tent was set up for the first time in 2006 and in time has grown and become an example for similar projects in other parts of Russia. The tent is largely seen as a symbol of peace and tolerance in Russia. It is also supported by the Moscow municipal administration.

Ramadan, interfaith dialogue, tolerance

Fatih Harpci

Going back to approximately 14 centuries ago, one of the last nights of the Arab month of Ramadan, maybe August in the year 610 C.E., we witness a caravan traveler, merchant, husband and father named Muhammad [pbuh].

Jewish community hosts iftar at Neve Shalom Synagogue

The Turkish Jewish community hosted its annual iftar (fast-breaking) dinner on Wednesday at the Neve Shalom Synagogue in İstanbul.

From Ramadan to Elul: A spiritual journey

By Andrew Friedman, FTA

Image by Carlos Latuff

For Lee Weissman, a Breslov Chasid in Irvine, the recent onset of Elul caps a spiritual journey he began a month ago with the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Weissman, a teacher at the Tarbut v’Torah Community Day School in Irvine and a scholar of Southeast Asian religions, says similar themes run through Ramadan and Elul, the Hebrew month of repentance, charity and extra prayers leading up to Rosh Hashanah and the High Holy Days. And he says his close ties with local Muslims have helped put him in the “correct” frame of mind to begin his own month of penitence and prayer.