Faiths break bread for Iftar

BAYRAM Aktepe, president of the Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV), addressed the inaugural multi-faith Iftar Dinner last Sunday (June 19), saying, “An attack on a Muslim is an attack on a Jew. An attack on a Jew, is an attack on a Muslim. No Muslim should be afraid of supporting the Jewish community.”

Iftar dinners are traditionally held by Muslims to break the fast during Ramadan. The event was organised by the ICV together with the Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV), with the aim of bridging the gap between different faiths.

The dinner was attended by more than 80 communal leaders from the Christian, Jewish and Muslim communities. A key topic under discussion was the recent Joint Journey to Jerusalem, which saw 11 faith leaders visit Israel on an interfaith learning program organised by the Jewish Christian Muslim Association (JCMA).

President of the JCMA Rabbi Ralph Genende along with Rev Ian Smith and Ashok Jacob, executive director and president of the Victorian Council of Churches, and Mohamed Mohideen, vice president of the ICV, all shared their reflections on the trip.

They spoke about their personal journeys, religious experience, friendships made and the sometimes difficult political debates undertaken.

“[It] wasn’t just a junket or feel-good experience but a way of exploring each other’s perspective, of seeing yourself through the eyes of the other, of thereby deepening your own faith and appreciating theirs better, of tackling hard questions, the hard edges of what makes us different, of how heart can triumph over the hard and how ultimately, this shared experience gives me hope that religion isn’t just the problem but also the solution to some of the intractable issues today,” Rabbi Genende told The AJN.

The Iftar Dinner was funded by the Victorian government, represented by Member for Broadmeadows Frank McGuire, who spoke against religious intolerance, and stressed the importance of working together and having the freedom to practise one’s religion.

The sentiment was echoed by Member for Caulfield David Southwick, who emphasised the importance of supporting multiculturalism in Victoria and building relationships across communities.

Hailing the dinner as an important step in bringing the two communities together, JCCV president Jennifer Huppert said, “The Itfar Dinner has provided an opportunity for us to learn about each other’s faiths and build relationships across our communities.”

She added, “Next year, we hope to hold a similar dinner based around a Jewish festival.”

DAN SHANDLER