Communities share Iftar Ramadan meal at Hackney’s Suleymaniye Mosque

People of various faiths and nations were invited to a special dinner at the Suleymaniye Mosque and Cultural Centre to share Ramadan’s message of peace, unity and love.

People come together for the Iftar meal - Credit: Archant

The 150 guests, who included North London Borough Commander Stephen Watson, Speaker of Hackney Cllr Michael Desmond, Chair of the Muslim Jewish Forum Rabbi Herschel Gluck and the General Consolate of Turkey Ahmet Demirok assembled at the Suleymaniye Mosque and Cultural Centre in Kingsland Road for the Iftar meal.

Cllr Susan Fajana Thomas and the director of the Marathon Science School at the Iftar meal - Credit: Archant

The month of Ramadan which sees Muslims fasting from dawn to dusk, and Iftar means breaking the fast.

Chair of the centre, Erdogan Celik, said in a speech: “This month brings us closer to our loved ones by sharing what we have, with those who are not so lucky as us,”

Ramadan ends Thursday with the Eid celebration.

The Suleymaniye Mosque and Cultural Centre is the biggest Turkish mosque in the UK and since setting up in 1984 it has 13 branches.

The buiding in Haggerston serves as mosque, community centre, school and community centre.