USA: Ramadan at Baitul Baseer Mosque in Silicon Valley

Guests from government, at the local, county and federal level included Mayor Jose Esteves, Councilmember Armando Gomez, Police Chief Dennis Graham, Fire Chief Brian Sturdivant, Pattie Cortese (whose husband Dave Cortese is president of the county board of supervisors), and Congressman Mike Honda.

Congressman Mike Honda at podium. The program was emceed by
Muhammed Chaudhry (left) CEO of  Education Foundation.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: Patch | Milpitas
By  Adelaide Chen | August 20, 2011

Once a year during Ramadan, community members are invited to share in iftar, the evening meal in which Muslims break their fast.

During the holy month of Ramadan when Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, families of the Baitul Baseer Mosque come together, especially on weekends, for the iftar, or the evening meal that breaks the fast.

Once a year during Ramadan, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community opens its doors to the mosque and invites the non-Muslim community to participate in the meal.

At the mosque, the aroma of the awaiting dinner greeted guests as well as Muslims who had not eaten nor drank since sunrise. Short speeches and prayers were said at the podium on a grassy area behind the mosque.


Leaders from different religions, including Jewish, Sikh, and the Buddhist temple next door, spoke of the similarities between their faiths.

"We are all children connected to one God," said Rabbi Dana Magot of the Temple Emanu-El in San Jose. "The more loving we are, the stronger our connection with God."

Abraham, recognized by Jews the first Patriarch, can be found in the Qur'an as a prophet and apostle.

And Wasim Malik, president of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Milpitas and vice president of the national organization, put it simply.

"Allah is simply the Arabic word for God," he said. "There is no difference between God and Allah."

Guests from government, at the local, county and federal level included Mayor Jose Esteves, Councilmember Armando Gomez, Police Chief Dennis Graham, Fire Chief Brian Sturdivant, Pattie Cortese (whose husband Dave Cortese is president of the county board of supervisors), and Congressman Mike Honda.

"Tonight is just another opportunity or me to know about other cultures," said Honda.

The sun set at 7:53 p.m., which brought the Call to Prayer.

Dates and fruit salad were used to break the fast. The meal was presented buffet style, with salad, curries (spinach, eggplant, okra), pasta, naan and breadsticks, rice pudding.

Women and men of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community dined separately, on different sides of the mosque, as part of their custom.

At the dinner table, Sister Rosemary Everett of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Cupertino said it was very inviting to see leaders from all faiths.

She said she attended the event to show "solidarity with my Muslim brothers and sisters."
Related Topics: Iftar and Ramadan



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