16 May should have been Mayor-Making in Todmorden, and no doubt many other places, but of course that was not possible this year. However, it was still a day for celebration! I accepted my first invitation as Mayor to attend the first Virtual Iftar in Todmorden at the home of the Chairman of the Mosque, Nadeem Mir. I was able to see the Mir family preparing food for the opening of the fast at 9.09pm – the fast which had started at 3.11am that morning – and to learn about the meaning of the Holy Month of Ramadhan and what it is like to fast for part of the day for a whole month.
The invitation was issued by Integrate Todmorden in conjunction with Todmorden Faith to give local people the opportunity to experience the atmosphere in a Muslim home while they prepare to open their fast. We heard some Quranic recitation and the Call to Prayer as 9.09pm approached and we also were able to ask questions and to interact with the family.
I was very grateful to receive this invitation and for the opportunity to learn more about this important part of the life of many people in our community.
Ruth