To mark Ramadan, a month of fasting, prayer, and reflection observed by Muslims worldwide, an interfaith event will be held at Airdrie’s Town and Country Centre on April 3.
The event, called "Fasting in World Religions," has been organized by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Senior Association. It will bring together members from four different religious communities to share and discuss the spiritual purpose of fasting from across the world's religious spectrum.
“The purpose of this program is basically to share the knowledge of fasting among all the [members of] the audience because the concept of fasting is pretty much followed in other religions as well,” said Aslan Hanib, one of the event’s organizers.
Hanib said he and his fellow organizers are expecting around 250 people to attend the "Fasting in World Religions" event. According to Hanib, this will be the first time an event like this will be held in Airdrie; even though the Ahmadiyya Muslim Senior Association has organized similar end of Ramadan events in Calgary over the years.
Promotional material for the event headlines a night where speakers from Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and Hinduism will touch on how fasting fits into the concept of each faith. Hanib said that the night will hopefully be a good opportunity to learn and share information.
“It's going to be a good learning experience for everyone to share, to see, and understand how fasting is observed,” he said.
Although Ramadan is observed by Muslims across the world, fasting is something done by people, cultures, and religions everywhere. Hanib said that the event will try and highlight some of the commonalities between the different religions represented at the Town and Country Centre.
“We believe that there are a lot of commonalities in different religions,” said Hanib. “It's better to learn and understand each other from their commonalities instead of taking all the differences and overusing them. It's better we should learn from each other because there are a lot of commonalities in these world religions.”
Doors to the Town and Country Centre will open at 6:30, with the Iftar, or fast-breaking night meal, will be served at 8:15. Tickets are free of charge and available on the event’s Eventbrite page.
