Community spirit: Sharjah church hosts Iftar for 700 workers

While many of us have seen weddings at a church, it's not common to see a church welcoming Muslims to end their fast.
St. Michael's Church in Sharjah hosted Iftar for nearly 700 blue-collared workers on Monday that was supported by about 30 catholic volunteers of various nationalities. This was the fourth year for the church to host Iftar for Muslim workers from various labour accommodations, as it marked the Year of Tolerance. The church was established in 1971 and it started serving Iftar in 2016 when Pope Francis declared the year as the Year of Mercy.
Parish priest Varghese Chempoly said: "The pope considers all human beings as children of God and he promotes the idea of human fraternity and human solidarity. In line with his belief, we wanted to send a message of peace to the world. This Iftar is also an expression of our gratitude to the UAE leaders who allowed us the freedom to practise our own faith."
The Iftar was attended by government officials, priests and religious figures from different churches. One of the prominent guests, Asam Al Mulla, director of water department at the Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (Sewa), said: "This is a clear message to everyone that although UAE has more than 200 nationalities, we can still respect each other and live in peace."
In a very spiritual moment, Azaan (call for prayer) was held inside the church where all Muslims offered their Maghrib prayers. Workers who sat across seven rows of long tables, ended their fast with dates, water and biryani.
Bangladeshi expat Billal Hussain came to the church to end his fast for the second time. He said: "I love that people from all religions have come here to eat together. One of my Hindu friends is fasting this entire month of Ramadan in solidarity with us."
After sharing their meals and smiles, hordes of workers rushed to their camps to offer prayers. On their way out, they were handed gift bags with items for daily use.
This Iftar was proof that a simple meal can bring together people from different faiths and create bonds of friendship. The Iftar was also a reaffirmation that UAE is fully committed to embracing people of all religions.
nilanjana@khaleejtimes.com

• Ramadan 2021
• Sharjah