SHARING IS CARING: FLASHMOB IFTAR

At Victoria Park this evening, supporting the "Sharing is Caring" Flashmob Iftar. Iftar is the name given to the evening meal with which Muslims break their fast each day during Ramadan. Similar events were held here during Ramadan 2010. They were successful and attracted some positive media attention; I only got to go to the last of the weekly meetings though. I'm glad to see this return and I'm keen to see how it goes this year.


Harry, Grace and I have been down to De Montfort Hall and Gardens to get our wristbands for Summer Sundae Weekender, checking out what's happening onsite the night before the festival proper begins tomorrow. It's just a short step over to the Pavilion, where the Flashmob Iftar is taking place. The point of this is to extend charity and hospitality to some of the people who virtually live in Victoria Park or who are based in some of the hostels nearby. I used to teach in some of these hostels, when I worked for Leicester City Council's ReMit and Reach programmes, so I'm interested in this event from more than one perspective. I'm also happy to get Harry and Grace involved.


There are more people here this evening than I recall being at the one I managed to attend last year - both from the local Muslim community and the intended beneficiaries of the event. There's more of a mixed turnout in terms of people helping out from other communities. In the photo below, Sughra Ahmed and Selma Ravat (from the Islamic Society of Britain) flank Lesley and Alan of Street Pastors. Lesley and Alan are wearing hi visibility orange  vests, which say "Community Mediator" on the back. they also appear to glow in the dark, judging by their effect on the picture!

When I introduce the kids to some of my friends here, more than one remembers that I told them how Harry stood up for Leicester's Muslims at school, when rumours and falsehoods were being spread about them in the days before the English Defence League visited Leicester in October last year. I was proud of him for doing that and am glad it's not been forgotten.


This event - and others to follow weekly on Thursday evenings during Ramadan - has been organised by Farhaanah Surti on behalf of the Islamic Society of Britain. It's been coordinated largely through the Sharing is Caring page on Facebook.