MORE than 50 people attended a celebration in Bromsgrove to mark Iftar – the end of the town’s Muslim community’s 30 days of fasting between sunrise and sunset.
The event, organised by the Bromsgrove Muslim Community Trust, was held at Shimla Peppers in the town centre on Monday (July 21).
Members of the Asian community were joined by invited guests, including Mike and Tessa Carrick from All Saints Church and Bromsgrove Rotary Club President Tony Docherty.
As well as prayers and the celebratory meal, there was also a poignant time of reflection in which the victims of the Bosnian genocide in 1995 were remembered. Ayman Azmi, nine, also recited a prayer for Srebrenica, the area where the atrocity happened.
Dr Waqar Azmi OBE is the chairman of the Bromsgrove Muslim Community Trust and Remembering Srebrenica, a charity set up in memoriam of the tragedy in which more than 8,000 men and boys were killed and the lives of thousands more were scarred.
During the event, Dr Azmi spoke about Srebrenica and of the lessons learnt about building a more cohesive society.
A seven-minute film about the Bosnian tragedy was screened.
Dr Azmi said: “It has been wonderful bringing people of all faiths and no faith together and to share the Iftar meal to mark the breaking of the fasting.
“It’s a fantastic way to build friendships over delicious food.
“The time of reflection reminded us of the importance of making a pledge to end hatred and intolerance and the responsibilities we have in creating a brighter society for our children and our community by commemorating Srebrenica Memorial Day.”
The official day to remember the atrocity is July 11.
Dr Azmi concluded by thanking the owner of Shimla Peppers Julfiker Choudhury for hosting the event.
