Interfaith Iftars: A Guide for Dinner Dialogues
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We’re excited to release this updated guide to support communities who have never held an interfaith meal and those of us looking for new conversation starters and tips. In a world that seems to be dividing at alarming rates we need more opportunities to come together across cultural, religious, and political differences. Thankfully, many of our religious traditions have spaces built into the regular rhythms of life to make this even more possible.
For many Muslims, Ramadan is a time set apart for (re)connecting with God, self, and community. It is a time overflowing with prayer and tradition, and it is also a time filled with joy and delicious food. Whether people gather at the mosque, a community center, or in homes, Ramadan is a time to build relationships and cultivate community.
During the month of Ramadan, the Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign hosts The United States of Love Over Hate: A Ramadan Supper Series. The primary goal of this effort is to identify, support, and connect people to Iftars open to interfaith guests across the nation, in order to help facilitate local relationship-building among Muslims and those of other faiths, cultures, and backgrounds.
We collaborated with our friends at The People’s Supper to help people make room for storytelling and building bridges between guests at their interfaith iftar. We’ve pulled together everything you need to know to host an interfaith supper — from pointers on how to create an inviting and intimate space to how to break the ice. This guidebook is a resource for those already planning Iftars open to interfaith guests, and for those looking to put one together.
Visit our website to download the guide and check out our other Ramadan resources, including a guide for virtual iftars, our 2019 Ramadan Road trip mini-doc and mini-series, and our annual national interfaith iftar listing. Our national interfaith iftar listing is a guide for people who have not met their Muslim neighbors, as much as it is for people already involved in multifaith engagement.
