Island Muslims, Mormons building respectful friendships
Communities will break bread together June 3 — and the public is invited to join
What was sparked as a friendship between two little preschool boys, one Muslim and one Mormon, years ago, has blossomed into a friendship between two faith groups right here on the West Island.
The Mormon Church of Latter-Day Saints has opened its doors for the second year in a row, to the Muslim community and community at large, for their event appropriately titled Breaking Bread with Hummus happening June 3 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Kirkland.
“Fasting is an essential ritual in the Muslim and Mormon religious communities, so the one day a year that we were both observing the fast is the perfect opportunity to invite our Muslim neighbours into our chapel to share our respective faith traditions around fasting and enjoy a meal together,” said Janell Gehmlich, director of public affairs for the Montreal Quebec Mount Royal Stake.
Jennell Dukovac of St-Lazare, one of the event founders, is a mother of four and an active member of her church’s community. Her nine-year-old son was one of the two young boys who sparked this initiative. While they may look different on the outside, both he and his Muslim best friend share the same curious, rambunctious personality and have been best friends ever since preschool. All four of her children have friends from all backgrounds and so participating in an interfaith event such as the joint breaking of the fast, comes naturally.
“There’s so much we can learn from one another, simply by respectfully asking questions and sharing our traditions,” said Dukovac. “The kids love it because they get to play with their friends and have a good time. We can all learn from one another and what better way to do so than while enjoying a great meal?”
By drawing on the similar tenets of each of their respective faiths, the event encourages its participants to ask questions of one another, join together for a meal and build bridges between the respective communities. This year they are opening the invite up to the broader community to join them.
Members of the Church of Latter-Day Saints visited various mosques participating in the Interfaith Open doors weekend a few months back as well as after the Quebec City shooting last year.
“It’s so nice to learn about our neighbours and their traditions and share those traditions with my family,” said Kirkland resident Suhail Niazi who attended last year’s iftar with his kids. “It was refreshing to see the similarities we share, and it was nice getting to experience that with my kids. I’m looking forward to attending again this year and going to encourage others to do the same.”
Arrangements have been made to ensure the food is halal to meet the dietary requirements of Muslim attendees, while coffee and caffeinated tea will not be served to respect the traditions of Mormon attendees.
The event will take place Sunday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at 58 Eaton St., Kirkland at 7:30 p.m. Supper is traditionally served at sunset.