Muslim community, Austin leaders join for iftar feast

Community leaders and members of Austin’s Muslim community gathered Saturday evening to “break the fast” at the third annual Austin City Wide Iftar.

The event, hosted by the Austin Muslim Civic Ambassadors at the Asian American Resource Center, aims to “bridge the gap between local elected officials and Austin’s Muslim community,” organizers said in a news release.

During Ramadan, Muslims abstain from food and drink the daylight hours. The

fast at sun- ment.

AMCA President Kumail Hasan said Muslims can get involved not only by joining local boards or organizations, but by supporting the needs of other communities, whether protesting police brutality or laws affecting Dreamers.

“A major part of celebrating our diversity is building bridges with other groups, and that requires us to actually be there when they need our support the most,” he told guests.

Several members of the Austin City Council attended, including Mayor Steve Adler and Council Members Kathie Tovo, Ora Houston, Ann Kitchen and Leslie Pool.

Adler said the event is an expression of what it means for members of the community to get to know their neighbors better, adding that the recent bomb- ings demonstrated why this is necessary.

“What we learned during this