Muslims to break fast at synagogue

FOR the first time, Muslims will break their fast at a synagogue, say their Maghrib sunset prayers and afterwards attend their hosts’ Isha night service.

Pleased about the invitation to break the fast, Ifthar, at the Temple Israel in Wynberg tomorrow night, Open Mosque president Taj Hargey said that when people bridged differences in faith and culture, and they “eat, talk and pray together, they are guaranteed not to fight”.

“Every human being wants peace, comfort, safety and security, they want to see light at the end of the tunnel, and this is what Friday is all about,” he said.

“While Muslims and Jews are at each other’s throats in some parts of the world, here in Cape Town we have established a cordial relationship between Judaism and Islam that is based on mutual respect and peaceful co-existence,” said Hargey.

Temple Israel’s Rabbi Greg Alexander said the two congregations had hosted each other before and had been building a relationship of trust.

Alexander said the congregations believed in concentrating on similarities, rather than highlighting differences, especially at this time when the “world is full of conflict, especially over Israel-Palestine”, and “extremists in both religions make it harder for the rest to get along”.

“We want to build stronger bonds of friendship between our community and the Muslim community. Sharing food together in the Muslim holy month of Ramadan will give members of both congregations a chance to break bread together and to see the common humanity in all of us,” said Alexander.

He said his congregation was honoured that the Open Mosque was joining his for the evening and that “we extend the same hospitality that our mutual ancestor, Abraham, taught us all 4 000 years ago”.