Mayor sends warm wishes for Eid al-Fitr at the Ramadan Iftar Dinner
Published: 21 April 2023
The Mayor and consort had a brilliant time at the Ramadan Iftar Dinner in Fatma’s Kitchen in Haywards Heath, organised by the Haywards Heath Dialogue Society to bring diverse communities together to celebrate and discuss local issues.
This year’s theme for the dinner was “Ramadan is Community: Challenging the cost of living through inclusion” and celebrated several faith festivities that coincide with each other – Ramadan, Easter, Navaratri, Mahavir Jayanti, Passover and Vaisakhi.
Cllr Howard Mundin says:
Last night’s Ramadan iftar raised awareness about the struggles and accomplishments of our diverse community in Haywards Heath and promoted dialogue and understanding between communities of all backgrounds. Ramadan is not just about abstaining from food and drinks during the day, it is a time for people to focus on their inner selves, show compassion and kindness to those in need, and this dinner was a time to come together as a community and share thoughts and blessings with others.
The event sponsor, Fatma’s Kitchen put on a sumptuous delicious feast for us with exceptional service at a dinner which showcased its inclusivity and the diversity of our community.
The Dialogue Society is a registered charity with a new presence in Haywards Heath and it was such an interesting evening hearing from locals from different faiths and their experiences within our town. I send my warmest wishes to everyone celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr this weekend and thank you to the Dialogue Society and Fatma’s Kitchen in Haywards Heath for a fitting tribute to the spirit of Ramadan and a reminder of the importance of interfaith harmony and community.”
Ramadan is a holy month of fasting observed by many Muslims in the United Kingdom. As one of the five pillars of Islam, fasting during Ramadan is a form of worship of utmost importance. Among the many positive attributes Muslims aspire to develop during this period, empathy with those less fortunate and a reinforcement of positive, proactive community engagement.
The Dialogue Society, upholds the belief that the inclusion of our diverse communities of all faiths (or none), cultures, ethnicities, abilities, and sexual and/or gender identities are crucial to the well-being of our society overall. Inclusion and the cost-of-living crisis are mutually exclusive; in short, more inclusion aids in tackling the cost-of-living crisis, whereas an increase in the cost of living contributes to the increase in hate crime and reduces inclusion.