Canada: Ramadan campaign asks Torontonians to Fast with a Muslim Friend

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“The first seven days are the hardest because, of course you’re not getting your morning Starbucks. It also inspires you to think more about billions of people who are less fortunate.”

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: Metro News
By Metro News | Jun 19, 2015

Aim to remove misconceptions about Islam, build bridges with other Canadians

Toronto Muslims have joined a national initiative that’s inviting everyone to experience the holy month of Ramadan.

Called Fast with a Muslim Friend, the campaign is an effort by Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama`at Canada to bridge cultural divides through first-hand experience.

It builds on what Safwan Choudhry called the “tremendous success” of Meet a Muslim Family, which saw more than 800 people across Canada spend the day in a Muslim household earlier this year.

Ramadan, which started Friday, seemed like a natural opportunity to continue bringing people together, said Choudhry, spokesman for the group.

“People vaguely know about Ramadan, but there’s a lot of curiosity around it,” he said.

Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is marked by 30 days of fasting from sunrise to sunset. Most people know that, but don’t have a true understanding of what it means to people of Muslim faith, Choudhry said.

“Muslims don’t dread Ramadan. We actually get excited about it,” he said. “It’s a great blessing and we want other people to learn and share that excitement.”

Non-Muslims who sign up for the campaign can choose to go a whole day without eating or just part of it.

What should participants be prepared for?

“The first seven days are the hardest because, of course you’re not getting your morning Starbucks,” Choudhry said. “It also inspires you to think more about billions of people who are less fortunate.”



Read original post here: Canada: Ahmadi Muslims invite non-Muslims to 'fast with a Muslim friend' during Ramadan


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