London’s V&A Museum hosts ‘Open İftar’ for hundreds in Ramadan
first Friday of the holy month of Ramadan, the Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum in London organized an open iftar event, a dinner to mark the breaking of the daily fast, where hundreds of people gathered to break their fast.
The program was held at the V&A Museum – one of the world’s leading art, design and performance museums. It was founded in 1852 in the Brompton district of London. The museum’s collection includes more than 2.3 million objects, ranging from ceramics and glassware to furniture and fashion. It also houses one of the world’s largest collections of Islamic art. The V&A is a popular tourist attraction, receiving over 3 million visitors annually.
Organized by the “Ramadan Tent Project,” more than 400 people participated in the open iftar.
Omar Salha, the founder of the award-winning Ramadan Tent Project charity, noted to Anadolu Agency (AA) that 2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the project.
The project was started by a group of students at SOAS University of London to invite international students to share iftar, providing a home away from home.
It aims to unite communities and spread the holy month’s spirit through various activities.
Salha said the charity would organize fast-breaking meal events in 10 cities during Ramadan, including Birmingham, Manchester, Cambridge and London.
He said an iftar event at the famous Trafalgar Square would be the biggest. They will also organize the same event at Shakespeare’s Globe theater, Chelsea football club’s stadium Stamford Bridge and Brighton and Hove Albion club’s American Express Community stadium.
Salha extended solidarity to Türkiye for last month’s deadly earthquakes and said he participated in campaigning for victims.
Dowshan Humzah, a member of the project’s advisory board, said the charity brings different people together at the events.
“What we’re trying to do is turn strangers into friends and also just build that sense of community, and that’s really at the heart of the Ramadan tent project,” he added.
Also touching on iftar programs at football stadiums, Humzah noted that Sunday’s open iftar would be the first of its kind hosted at a Premier League football club stadium.