MOSAIC and The Unity Project learn about Iftar through connection and celebration
The event was a time to educate and to enlighten
A group of Buffalo High School students spent the night celebrating Iftar through a potluck dinner. The attendees broke the fast first with a date, and then a feast.
MOSAIC (Making Our Schools Safe And Inclusive through Collaboration) and The Unity Project, two groups working to make the community safer and more welcoming, came together the night of April 20 to celebrate Iftar, or break the day’s fast.
Ekbal Menawy taught the attendees about what Ramadan is and about her heritage.
“I want [people] to understand why we’re [fasting] and understand how we feel when we’re fasting. And how sometimes it’s not the easiest thing to do,” said Menawy.
Menawy shared about ways to accommodate Muslim students during Ramadan such as being excused for Phy. Ed. or skipping class snacks. Menawy also explained how to talk about Ramadan with people who are Muslim. What questions to ask and what questions not to ask.
“I think it’s great to learn about different groups like what they do, and how they celebrate. So even though [MOSAIC and The Unity Project] are not related or affiliated with any religion, we want to learn about how people are celebrating in our community,” said Kristy Adams, a founding member of MOSAIC.
The Unity Project, a student-run group, and MOSAIC, a partnering group, hosted the Iftar dinner in hopes to bring together the community around Buffalo.
“[MOSAIC] was talking about ways to partner with The Unity Project in a more meaningful way, in a way that’ll grow both of our groups. And so what we thought was we could get away from a meeting for a month and have more of a celebration. And that’s when we learned about Iftar,” said Adams.
