Houston Cathedral hosts Friends of Iman Interfaith Iftaar
By Luke Blount
[Episcopal Diocese of Texas] Christ Church Cathedral in Houston hosted an interfaith Iftaar on July 11, presented by the Friends of Iman, a group of young adults who organize education and interfaith activities in memory of Iman Haq, a young Muslim woman who died two years ago at the age of 20.
An Iftaar is a traditional Islamic dinner observed during the month of Ramadan, when the community gathers together to break their daylong fast as the sun goes down.
The event featured a panel discussion with representatives from the three Abrahamic faiths: Mubeen Khumawala representing Islam, Rabbi Steve Gross representing Judaism, and the Very Rev. Barkley Thompson, dean of the cathedral, representing Christianity. As the event was focused on the observance of Ramadan, an Islamic month of fasting, each representative spoke briefly on the fasting rituals of their faith tradition before taking questions from the crowd.
Khumawala explained that many Islamic rituals can be traced to the idea of self-purification.
Read more at http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2013/07/15/houston-cathedral-hosts-friends-of-iman-interfaith-iftaar/