On Wednesday, March 18, the Muslim Student Association (MSA) and Students for Solace held a community Iftar celebration at the Wayland Council of Aging in the town center. Iftar is the evening meal during Ramadan to break the fast. The celebration included Q’uran recitals, a prayer and dinner. Students for Solace also collected donations for local food banks.
The event started with remarks from juniors Mustafa Kheir, Kyle Davidson and Rayan Salahuddin. Kheir and Salahuddin are presidents of the MSA, and Davidson and Kheir are the co-founders of Students for Solace. According to the MSA and Students for Solace heads, the event was an opportunity to educate members of the community who may not be too familiar with different religions.
“What’s crazy about this event is that if someone were to tell me that we would have an event in front of 70-something people, I would think that you’re joking,” Davidson said.
The two clubs combined to form the event as an effort to bring the community together. Kheir and Davidson believe that everyone has a right to basic needs, like food, water and shelter.
“We wanted to combine [both groups] in one event because when you bring small organizations together, especially youth-led ones, it really brings the community together,” Salahuddin said.
This dinner was joined by many in the community, as the event was open to non-Muslims. This provided an opportunity for non-Muslims to learn more about Ramadan and partake in the festivities.
“I adore and admire the students who organize this,” Principal Dr. Allyson Mizoguchi said. “I love being in the presence of their families, friends and the community members.”
After the initial remarks, the Muslims in the room recited their prayers in a designated prayer room, and then the dinner began. The food consisted of traditional Middle Eastern food, like shawarma and lamb shish, as well as pizza and french fries.
After dinner, Salahuddin and freshman Zahra Kaleem gave speeches about Ramadan. Davidson and Kheir made remarks about Students for Solace and their mission.
More than just a successful event, the Iftar celebration brought people of many different religions and races together.
“When you bring organizations together, especially student-led ones, in a small town like Wayland, I feel like it ties the community together more,” Kheir said. “It bridges the gap between different people in the town, especially people of different races and ethnic backgrounds.”
