Breaking Fasts, Building Resilience at Community Iftar

March 10, 2025
• Muslim community members shared messages of hope and hardship during a community iftar at the Congregational Church of Needham.

As the sun set over Needham on Sunday, mothers, fathers and some children whetted their appetites with a date and drink of water, breaking their fast on the ninth night of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month.

Over the course of 30 days, Muslims abstain from eating and drinking during the day, gathering at night to pray and reflect together. During Needham’s community iftar — the evening meal where Muslims break their fast — organizer Zeenat Rasheed hoped other residents would also leave feeling “informed and reflective.”

“Our hope for this iftar is that it opens the door for Muslims to be seen, heard and supported in this town we all call home,” Rasheed said.

The second annual community iftar was hosted by Needham Muslim Neighbors, a collection of about 30 families that join forces to support one another and those in need, including local refugees and, recently, pregnant women in Gaza. Their invited guests included town management, Select Board members, nonprofit advocates and others who joined the speaking program and dinner that followed.

Organizers also collected donations for the Needham Community Council’s food pantry.

Despite the event’s spirit of inclusion and understanding, many speakers pointed to a politically divisive climate that has fundamentally disrupted their lives. Their lawn signs calling for unity have been stolen, and they’ve been on the receiving end of hateful speech, online and in person. “We’ve had a tough year as American Muslims,” Rasheed said.

Sri Baqri, a member of the Needham Resilience Network, said she recognizes the town’s effort to promote equality, but when it comes to international wars, “it’s felt like it’s been very difficult to at least talk about,” which seems at odds with Needham’s character, she said.

There’s a religious imperative to speak up, specifically when it comes to the war in Gaza, attorney Sakib Khan said during the program. While they may be met with resistance, Khan said that doing what’s right is tied to America’s founding and a passage in the Quran: “Let there be no compulsion in religion, for the truth stands out clearly from falsehood.”

“The founders understood religion in the same way that Muslims by and large do, that religion is the pursuit of truth and morality and combat against falsehoods and pressures,” Khan said.

In the spirit of Ramadan, Rasheed encouraged the community to speak up against injustice and “build your discipline” to become better people.

“Fasting helps us become more resilient. We learn how to do hard things, which helps us achieve our goals,” Rasheed said. “Fasting cultivates gratitude for what we have and the ability to delay gratification for what we don’t have, which helps us prepare thoughtfully for a rewarding afterlife.”

Following a reading from the Quran, children shared what they enjoy about Ramadan: gathering with friends, receiving presents, staying up late and gaining perspective.

“My favorite thing about Ramadan is that we feel how others feel when they are hungry,” one child said.

Ramadan follows the lunar calendar, which is about 10 days shorter than the solar calendar. That means Muslims will experience Ramadan across all four seasons in the span of 36 years, panelist Hassan Chowdhry said. Those who are pregnant, breastfeeding or ill are exempt from fasting.

Being Muslim in Needham comes with other challenges. When she picks her children up from school, Huma Farid is the only visibly Muslim woman with a hijab. That visibility can put a pressure on her, she said.

“I do feel this burden at times of being the model minority and having to always be on, always be kind,” Farid said.

On the opposite coin, Baqri’s first few days as a Needham resident made her feel “perhaps invisible,” she said, after looking around Trader Joe’s one day and realizing she was the only Brown person there. Getting involved in the community helped Baqri feel welcomed, she said.

The iftar served as a learning opportunity for Jodie Kuhlman, a member of the Congregational Church. Her daughter recently converted to Islam, prompting her to attend.

Kuhlman sees a central theme across belief systems.

“The basic principles of many religions are the same: caring for other human beings,” Kuhlman said. “I’m here with an open mind and an open heart.”

Addressing biases and breaking preconceived notions can create a more inclusive Needham for those that live there, many speakers said. Chowdhry emphasized “the importance of empathy.”

Sometimes, all it takes is a conversation, Farid said.

“We want you to get to know us, because getting to know an individual is the only way to build bridges,” Farid said. “It is the only way to move forward. It is the only way for peace.”

Cameron Morsberger was an invited guest at the iftar.