Last Friday week I had the real pleasure of attending an Interfaith Iftar at the Minhaj Ul Quran Mosque on Romford Road, Forest Gate, kindly invited by my colleague Cllr Alam.
It’s a mosque I’ve visited before — most memorably for the remarkable exhibition Far From the Western Front: South Asian Stories of the First World War. That exhibition explored the experiences of South Asian troops who served with extraordinary courage and sacrifice. It is no exaggeration to say that without their contribution, the outcome of the First World War — and arguably the Second — could have been very different. https://www.johnslabourblog.org/2017/04/far-from-western-front-south-asian.html
Friday’s Iftar carried that same sense of shared history, solidarity, and community into the present moment.
Newham Labour’s Mayoral Candidate, Forhad Hussain, was also invited and spoke at the event, alongside Stephen Timms MP, Cllr Alam, and his Forest Gate South Candidate Robert Carter‑Lennox — who had fasted that day for the very first time. Each offered thoughtful reflections on Ramadan as a time of discipline, compassion, and generosity.
What stayed with me most, though, was the atmosphere in the room. Myself and colleagues — some Muslim, some not — sat among worshippers as they broke their fast. People who had been fasting since dawn shared their food and drinks with us. That simple act of hospitality, offered after a long day of abstention, carried a profound sense of warmth and welcome.
It was, in every sense, a very special occasion — a reminder of the strength of Newham’s interfaith bonds, and of how much we gain when we sit together, learn from one another, and share moments of reflection and celebration.
