Muslim students from across Winnipeg campuses gathered on March 13 at the Dakota Community Centre for a large collaborative Grand Iftar that combined community-building, fundraising and Ramadan traditions.
The event, organized by the U of M Muslim Students’ Association (MSA), brought together eight student clubs from the U of M and the University of Winnipeg, along with two sponsors. Organizers say it was possibly one of the largest collaborative events of its kind for Muslim students on post-secondary campuses.
Rania Ibrahim, East African Student Association president, said the gathering was designed to bring Muslim students from different backgrounds together during the holy month.
“The Grand Iftar […] was a collaboration with eight student groups on campus representing diverse Muslim students,” Ibrahim explained. “We got sponsorship from Islamic Relief Canada and the International Community Centre to be able to put on this event to bring Muslim students together.”
The evening began with a Qur’an recitation, followed by welcoming remarks from representatives of each participating club. An Islamic lecture, or Halaqa, was also part of the program, then an auction occurred right before the fast was broken.
Aref AlAswad, who represented the Syrian Students’ Club (SSC) and co-hosted the event, said each club contributed to the planning and logistics of the evening.
“Every club had [a] different role. Our club was mainly responsible for the food catering. Other clubs were responsible for the setting up, cleaning up, different roles, but [all of the] tasks were divided evenly,” AlAswad said.
One of the central features of the nighttime event was a charity auction. Each participating club contributed an item for attendees to bid on, with proceeds directed toward relief efforts in Sudan.
Adil Hayat, MSA external relations manager, said interest in the event was high, with tickets selling out before general sales opened.
“We actually sold out in early-bird, which is very rare,” Hayat said.
Hayat said the charity auction was one of the most memorable parts of the evening, especially since students knew the funds would go toward humanitarian aid.
“The best part is everybody did it for the sake of unity and donations and the proceeds going to Sudan,” he explained. “All the MSA brothers got together and bought a painting for $1,300.”
Faisal Shamim Zahed, MSA president, expressed that the Grand Iftar is also a way to recognize the volunteers who help run Ramadan programming throughout the month.
“The MSA does 30 days of iftar and 10 nights of free suhoor for everyone, where the team is heavily invested, especially the volunteers, working day and night,” Zahed said. “So, this is just a gesture for us to give it back to them and the crowd as well.”
Zahed said expanding partnerships with other student groups was a goal this year as the organization works to create a more inclusive campus community.
“I wanted MSA to be more diverse, more accepting and more welcoming to other people,” he explained. “Unfortunately, throughout the years, people have had a lot of negative notions about MSA, how it’s only for a specific set of people, a specific ethnicity, but I am trying to change that notion.”
