Break the Ramadan fast with Muslims at Plainfield mosque on Tuesday

People of all faiths and ages are invited to an Interfaith Iftar (fast-breaking) meal at the Al-Aqsa Community Center in Plainfield.

The Iftar is the name of the meal that the pre-sunset fast Muslim keeps during the feast of Ramadan. This year, Ramadan, a time set aside for drawing near to God, began April 1 and will end May 1.

The Al-Aqsa Community Center and GainPeace will host the event from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at 17940 S. Bronk Road in Plainfield. GainPeace is a nonprofit based in Oakbrook Terrace. Its mission is to education people about Islam, according to its website.

Sabeel Ahmed, director of GainPeace and keynote speaker at the annual event, is looking forward to meeting returning attendees and those coming out for the first time.

“We’ve been doing this for many years,” Ahmed said of the community event. “Many of our fellow Americans have not been to a mosque or met a Muslim,” Ahmed said. “They may have a fear of the unknown. This is one way for us to engage with our neighbors.”

Attendees will learn about the Islam faith and its 500-year presence in the U.S., Ahmed said. They’ll be able to ask questions and be reassured that Muslims are not a threat to them, he said.

“We should not judge each other by the bad apples in society,” Ahmed said. “But especially for Islamic people, we should not judge them by some of the wrong things people may be doing. … They will find out that Islam is about justice, peace, unity and love.”

Ahmed feels the Interfaith Iftar event is an effective way to foster those connections because “food is a blessing” for all humanity. Sharing a meal becomes an opportunity for asking questions and building community,

“Many people may not know why we fast,” Ahmed said. “Fasting is so much more than staying way from food and water. We stay away from all the things we’re not supposed to be doing: smoking and backbiting, lying, cheating and fighting.”

Muslims then use that time to cultivate “all the good things we are supposed to be doing,” Ahmed said.

“I say to my children that we can always imagine how poor people may be feeling,” Ahmed said. “But until we fast for 14 hours each day, we can’t actually have empathy for them. We are placing ourselves in their shoes, so that should help us reach into our pockets and purses and banks so we can become more charitable.”

RSVP for Tuesday’s event by calling or texting 815-596-0768 or emailing accplainfield@gmail.com.

For information, visit gainpeace.com or accplainfield.org.