Refugees find a community for iftar feast and celebration
Fasting is one of the pillars of Ramadan, a Muslim month of prayer and worship, which begins March 22 this year.
Each evening, iftar, the meal that breaks the fast, is a time of celebration and community, of gathering with family and friends.
The tradition can be difficult for refugees, forced to flee from their homes. They may have limited resources. Often, they are separated from their families and neighbors with whom they would have joined in the past.
That’s where Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston comes in.
The nonprofit hosts an iftar for the families served in its Refugee Services department.
Interfaith’s chief programs officer, Ali Al Sudani, said that the goal is to capture the joy of the celebrations the refugees once enjoyed in their home countries.
“We want to replicate that energy as much as we can,” he said. “They have been through a lot. Now, they are in a new country, with a new life and new beginning. Our goal is to have a sense of welcome – and to show that we care about them, their culture and religious holidays.”
Iftar Together will be held at 6:30 p.m. April 6 at Interfaith Ministries, 3303 Main.
Praveena Lakshmanan, Interfaith’s community engagement program manager for Refugee Services, said the evening will begin with words from an imam and a moment of reflection.
Al Sudani and Interfaith president and CEO Martin Cominsky will also speak. A meal will be provided, as well as activities for all ages.
There will be takeaway bags filled with donated clothing, hygiene items and toys for children, which were assembled by Interfaith Ministries volunteers in March.
Refugees will be coming from different countries, each with their own practices for Ramadan. “This will be a place of education and awareness,” Lakshmanan said.
Interfaith began hosting an iftar for refugees in 2016, and it quickly became a tradition — until the pandemic hit.
This year, Al Sudani said, Interfaith was ready for a reprise. “Now it’s time for us to restart the event,” he said.
These refugees had to navigate a new home as well as survive a pandemic. “That’s why this year will be extra special in so many respects,” Lakshmanan said.
Interfaith Ministries has provided comprehensive programs to refugees for the past 40 years.
“We start with airport pickup,” Al Sudani said. “We secure an apartment for them and provide furniture and basic household items.”
Case managers work with the individual refugees to prepare for the workplace, enroll in educational opportunities and find jobs. Interfaith also offers cultural orientation programs, women’s empowerment groups and teen mentorships.
“We put the clients in the center of our operation. We try to hold their hands and give them hope,” Al Sudani said.
The nonprofit is serving refugees from 21 countries, with the largest number currently from Afghanistan.
A refugee himself, Al Sudani fled from Iraq and settled in Houston in 2009. “It’s a matter of making a decision in a second, what you need to take and what you will leave behind,” Al Sudani said. “Usually, you leave behind everything, just trying to have your life.” While refugees receive government assistance, the funding is not sufficient. “We are asking the community to come and help us,” Al Sudani said.
Donations are needed, as are volunteers, Lakshmanan said. Opportunities range from administrative work to providing transportation to teaching an art class.
“Afghan families might have phased out of allocated resettlement funds or be struggling with high rents or unforeseen circumstances,” she said. “We can definitely use the support of the community and sponsors to help face those challenges.”
Hosting the iftar observance fits Interfaith’s mission to help refugee families build a new home in Houston.
“For our refugees, resettlement is a hectic process,” Al Sudani said. “It’s nice to be able to do something so they can feel welcome and more comfortable in their new city.”
To volunteer or donate, visit Interfaith’s website at imgh.org.