Iftar Dinner at Manhattan’s Riverside Church


Date posted: July 10, 2015

Aside from physical needs, it also requires a total commitment of the person’s character and soul to the spirit of the fast. For instance, sharing and caring for one another are the key commitments during this month. In this regard, Peace Islands Institute New York organizes Iftar Dinners every year with different organizations. The idea is to gather people from all cultural and religious backgrounds and make them interact, communicate and share values since this is the month of opportunity to strengthen ties with family and friends in our community.

On June 30, 2015, Peace Islands Institute New York, The Riverside Church, Union Theological Seminary and Interfaith Center of New York organized a wonderful Iftar Dinner at the Riverside Church. The Iftar had more than 250 guests from very diverse cultures and religions. The program began with a welcome speech by Reverend Chloe Breyer and representatives of each organization.

Then, Imam Ibrahim Sayar, Director of the Center for Interfaith Affairs at the Peace Islands Institute was invited to the stage to deliver keynote speech about Food Justice & Fasting. Mr. Sayar mentioned that food justice is an alternative food movement dedicated to issues of social justice as they relate to foods because it involves questions about income, race and other demographics in the context of the availability, safety and nutritional value of food. Mr. Sayar emphasized food justice according to Islam in relation to the month of Ramadan and fasting. He concluded his speech by pointing out why we need to appreciate what we have, not waste, give charity, build empathy with the needy, recycle and distribute the substance that has been entrusted to us by God the Almighty.

Furthermore, Peace Islands Institute presented a video about Ramadan that briefly describes the meaning of Ramadan and how an individual acts while fasting during his/her day. After hearing the Adhan (Call to Prayer), people began to eat and chat over each other. Lastly, people enjoyed listening live Sufi music and watched the whirling dervish.

Iftar-Dinner-at-the-Riverside-Church-1

Iftar-Dinner-at-the-Riverside-Church-3

Iftar-Dinner-at-the-Riverside-Church-2

Source: Peace Islands Institute , July 2015

Tags: | | | |


Related News

Fethullah Gülen’s dialogue and tolerance discourse parallels Gandhi’s

Sudheendra Kulkarni, the head of the India-based Mumbai Research Foundation, has said there are parallels between the views of Mahatma Gandhi and Fethullah Gülen. Kulkarni talked to students from the Faculty of Theology at Marmara University, discrediting the misconception that Gandhi was against technology. Kulkarni described his new book, “Music of The Spinning Wheel,” and obscured characteristics of Gandhi as the protagonist of his book.

Fethullah Gülen’s Message on International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

Like all forms of violence, violence against women is the expression of an unhealthy mindset and psychology. Therefore, we must not approach the matter solely from a punitive perspective, but get to the root causes and come up with long-lasting solutions.

Planting Seeds of Understanding – A Buddhist View on Gulen Movement

Imagine … “a world where people are deeply grounded in a moral and ethical tradition, where humility and service are highly valued and where reason, science and technology are fully utilized for the benefit of all.”[1] Does this sound like some sort of utopia that we would like to choose for the human race? A […]

Division at home, cooperation abroad

Last week I visited Canada to speak at a panel on Turkey in Ottawa and give a lecture on Turkey-EU relations at the Munk School for Global Affairs in Toronto. The panel was part of the first Turkic-Canadian Convention intended to boost economic and cultural relations between Canada and Turkey. The convention was organized by the Anatolian Heritage Federation and was also attended by five members of the Turkish Parliament from the three major parties.

Kimse Yok Mu opens school for Syrian children

A protocol signed between the Arbil Governorate and the aid organization in November, the school, which has 12 classrooms and 1,000 square meters of space, was built in the region of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) for refugees who fled Syria. The school will be administered under the Arbil Governorate, according to information obtained from the Ankara office of Kimse Yok Mu.

Kimse Yok Mu extends helping hand to orphans in eastern Turkey

Charity organization Kimse Yok Mu continues its campaign in the holy month of Ramadan. Volunteers from the KYM went to the southeastern province of Diyarbakır on Tuesday and delivered aid boxes economically disadvantaged citizens.

Latest News

Turkish inmate jailed over alleged Gülen links dies of heart attack in prison

Message of Condemnation and Condolences for Mass Shooting at Bondi Beach, Sydney

Media executive Hidayet Karaca marks 11th year in prison over alleged links to Gülen movement

ECtHR faults Turkey for convictions of 2,420 applicants over Gülen links in follow-up to 2023 judgment

New Book Exposes Erdoğan’s “Civil Death Project” Targeting the Hizmet Movement

European Human Rights Treaty Faces Legal And Political Tests

ECtHR rejects Turkey’s appeal, clearing path for retrials in Gülen-linked cases

Erdoğan’s Civil Death Project’ : The ‘politicide’ spanning more than a decade

Fethullah Gülen’s Vision and the Purpose of Hizmet

In Case You Missed It

Kimse Yok Mu team in action in Bosnia

Gulen, Moderate Cleric, Vilified In Turkey

Gov’t’s hate campaign against Kimse Yok Mu draws condemnations

Erdogan plotted Turkey purge before coup, say Brussels spies

Hizmet Movement NGOs from 80 nations share intercultural experiences at GYV meeting

Gülen chair holder praises movement’s focus on education

Those not supporting Erdogan regime labelled as Gulen follower, given harsh punishment

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News