Palestinians break Ramadan fast with meal open to everyone, regardless of faith

CBC

03-03-2025

Social Sharing
After fasting from sunrise to sundown, Winnipeg's Palestinian community hosted an iftar that welcomed everyone who wanted to share a meal and celebrate Ramadan at the Sturgeon Heights Community Centre on Sunday evening.
A large table of food slowly started to run out as dozens of people, including Premier Wab Kinew, lined up for food with their paper plates and plastic cutlery.
The event was organized by the Canadian Palestinian Association of Manitoba. Ieman Zeid, treasurer of the organization, was among the volunteers setting up the room before the community event started.
"The bigger picture is to be with your family … be with others," he said. "You support those that are less fortunate than yourself."
During Ramadan, Muslims, excluding young children and people who are sick, elderly or pregnant, get up before dawn to eat suhoor, an early morning meal, followed by iftar, an evening meal to break the fast after sunset.
Munther Zeid, who went to the potluck with his family, said this is a happy time of the year — the holiday season for the Muslims community in which others are also invited to participate.
"The whole point is during Ramadan, people are supposed to come together," Munther Zeid said.
"Any faith, any culture, any background, everybody's welcome," he said. "Having other people besides Palestinians or Muslims in here shows that the world can … get along."
Ramsey Zeid, who's the president of the Palestinian association in the province, said it was important to extend an invitation to Jewish communities and beyond to show solidarity and that communities can coexist.
"We are not against the Jewish people. We are human beings and they are human beings and … we can live together and we can coincide and we can get along," he said Sunday to CBC Weekend Morning Show host Nadia Kidwai.
"I think it's more important than ever that we keep talking and keep getting together, discussing things.… We're not always going to agree, but when we stop talking, that's when we lose."
His statement was echoed by Emet Eviatar, co-founder of Manitoba Friends of Standing Together, an organization run by Palestinian and Jewish people, who joined Ramsey Zeid for the interview.
"Iftars are fun. You should totally come to any iftar you're invited to, because they're always wonderful — just the hospitality and the warmth, and people are a little punchy from having fasted all day. That makes it even better," Eviatar said.
"If we want to be together, then this is the time to be together."
Harold Shuster, a longtime organizer with the Winnipeg chapter of Independent Jewish Voices, said when members from different communities sit down and share food together, as at Sunday's iftar, it breaks down barriers.
"It creates a level playing field. You sit, you talk, you share stories, and it helps humanize people," he said.
"With what's happening in Palestine, in Gaza and the West Bank, I think it's more important than ever for Jews to come out and support."
In late February, Israeli tanks moved into the occupied West Bank for the first time since 2002, as the country deepens its crackdown on the Palestinian territory, previously saying it is determined to stamp out militancy amid a rise in attacks.
Violence has surged in the West Bank throughout the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
Israel stopped the entry of all goods and supplies into the Gaza Strip over the weekend and warned of "additional consequences" if Hamas doesn't accept a new proposal to extend a fragile ceasefire.
The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostage, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's offensive has killed over 48,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
A fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas started on Jan. 19.