Hundreds gather for first Interfaith Iftar in seven years

On Tuesday, March 17, the Princeton Muslim Life Program and Religious Life Council co-hosted in Frist Campus Center’s Multipurpose Room the Interfaith Iftar, an opportunity for students observing Ramadan to break their fast with the broader community.

The sunset event drew over 350 students, faculty, and community members. This exceeded the organizers’ expectations, requiring overflow seating and additional catering. As the first formal Interfaith Iftar hosted in seven years, the success of the event has created excitement for an annual tradition.

The Muslim Life Program hosts around nine community iftars throughout the month of Ramadan on Tuesdays and Thursdays each year, open to all students regardless of faith. These weekly events serve upwards of 275 students and are often attended by Muslim students and their friends.

However, this most recent community iftar was a concerted effort to create space for dialogue, learning, and support among an even broader group as one of many interfaith events hosted by the Office of Religious Life (ORL) throughout the year.

The event began with a student-led call to prayer, followed by an English translation delivered by Assistant Dean for Muslim Life Imam Khalil Abdullah. Following the traditional breaking of the fast with water and dates, attendees shared a halal meal including shawarma, falafel, and hummus, which included kosher options.

Abdullah encouraged the crowd to engage in reflection using prompts provided by the ORL. The crowd also engaged in conversation across religiously-mixed groups, with many students asking questions and discussing faith-based practices and commonalities.

“At my table were Jewish people and we were able to talk about our different religions. I really enjoyed learning [that] our religions are more similar than maybe we thought,” Hiba Samdani ’27, co-president of the Muslim Student Association told The Daily Princetonian in an interview.

“We’re not preachy, you know, we just bring people together and let the magic happen … The two words that came to mind were food and friendship,” Abdullah told the ‘Prince’ in an interview about the event. “As I stood there, I just thought, ‘what a wonderful group of friends’ … After the food ran out, people stayed and they talked and they laughed and they made plans and they met new people.”

Support nonprofit student journalism. Donate to the ‘Prince.’ Donate now »

Sarah Rinzan ’27, another student in attendance at the iftar, emphasized the importance of space for students to break their fasts together, especially considering the centrality of family and community to the observance of Ramadan.

“Faith is such a big part of all of our lives and it’s kind of hard to bring that into conversations regularly. Having a space where we’re able to do that is really nice … I feel like it helps [others] know me as a more well-rounded person,” Rinzan said.

Mohammad Afzai Shadab, a postdoctoral research associate, emphasized the importance of these exchanges. “In today’s world, which is quite polarized, it’s important that people come together and just exchange ideas because that helps break all those barriers we would have of the unknown. It was nice to know about people and people’s religions and faiths, just to learn and to make new friends,” Afzel said.

The event followed the Feb. 27 “Fast-a-Thon” led by the Muslim Student Association. While both events saw high engagement, organizers noted that the Interfaith Iftar attracted an even larger crowd, with lines extending around the room.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered to your doorstep or inbox. Subscribe now »

Abdullah said that members of the community plan to gather again in Frist Campus Center on Friday to celebrate Eid.

“We like to practice a joyous version of Islam. There will be a lot of laughter, there will be balloons, there will be face painting, there will be food and chai, and more food and more chai.”

Sophia Hopper is a News contributor for the ‘Prince’ interested in Town and Faculty, Graduate Student, and Alumni coverage. She is from Raleigh, N.C. and can be reached at sh1943[at]princeton.edu.

Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.