People greeted each other Sunday evening with huge smiles on their faces. Most were dressed up, and some women wore colorful hijabs to cover their hair. They hugged and said, in Arabic, "peace be upon you."
Over a dozen tables were set up in a room at the Islamic Society of Greater Charlotte, which were later filled with tandoori chicken, vegetable curry, and naan bread. The evening meal is known as an iftar, when Muslims break their fast.
During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to sunset. They often break their fast with a community meal that includes an appeal to help those in need. Welcome Home, a Charlotte group that helps resettle refugees, hosted the iftar.
The event started with someone reciting the Quran.
“Ramadan is a big time to eat together, be with the community, and be with each other," said Amarra Ghani, Welcome Home's executive director. "And actually, a form of worship is feeding someone who is fasting, so it kind of goes hand in hand.”
This was the first in-person iftar Welcome Home hosted since 2019 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the group held drive-through iftars, handing out boxes with food at different mosques and collecting donations online.
Welcome Home provides living essentials like furniture, kitchen items, and food to refugees resettling in Charlotte. Most of the refugees come from countries with large Muslim populations like Afghanistan, Syria, and Sudan.
“[We provide] a variety of things that kind of make their experience here a little more settled," Ghani said. "They’re coming with absolutely nothing, so it’s essential that we provide them with at least the basic needs.”
During Ramadan, Muslims are encouraged to be especially charitable. Adrika Lazarus, a volunteer at the event, said that iftars such as these help her appreciate what she has and reinforce how critical it is to support those in need.
“It’s a reminder of all the things that I have to be grateful for: food, a roof over my head, and all the basic necessities,” Lazarus said. “Secondly, it’s for people who do not have access to food. [There's] food insecurity, not just in Palestine, but in all other parts of the world, and even here in Charlotte. We do have food deserts.”
The war in Gaza comes up a lot during the evening’s festivities. Imam Atif Chaudhry led prayers at the mosque for many years. He says it’s challenging to fully embrace the joy of Ramadan, knowing that so many are suffering and dying there.
“There is this guilt as well that we have so much, but we can't do anything. And at the same time, this anger,” Chaudhry said. “But this is a month where fasting also tempers your emotions, helps you navigate through the difficulties of this world, and pushes you in the direction of action and not just desperation.”
That’s what the next portion of the evening’s event intended to do. Chaudhry took the stage and reminded the couple hundred gathered of their duty to help others as the prophet Muhammad did. Giving to those in need is part of a practice known as zakat. It’s one of the pillars of Islam.
“The whole idea of giving has to come from a place of respect,” Chaudhry told the group. “It has to come from a place of giving integrity to the people who are down on their fortune, the people who are being tested along with you.”
A few minutes later, the fundraising started. It was conducted like an auction, but there was nothing to bid on. People raised their hands to acknowledge they would donate a certain amount. The hope was that the energy and openness would compel people to donate.
People of other religious faiths attended the iftar. Ghani invited her Christian friend, Meia Tshibangu. She said she’s pleased to be part of a community willing to help others.
“It shows the Charlotte community is open. It shows that when it’s time for us to come together, we will show up and support one another,” Tshibangu said.
As the event came to a close, people became eager to hear from Ghani about whether the organization met its goal of $40,000.
As Ghani walked off the stage, she was met with applause after announcing that Welcome Home had exceeded its target by raising $41,000.
The money raised during the evening will help families start their new lives in Charlotte.
