Ramadan Iftar inside a church
In a unique scene, around 500 people gathered on Sunday evening inside the Saint-Jean-Baptiste church in the Molenbeek neighborhood of Belgium to share a communal iftar meal in celebration of the holy month of Ramadan.
This event, which was part of the campaign to nominate the neighborhood as the European Capital of Culture for 2030, sent a clear message about openness and cultural and religious diversity. The timing of the iftar was not a coincidence, as it coincided with the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks in Brussels that occurred on March 22, 2016. These attacks have long been associated with investigations that led to the Molenbeek neighborhood, making it a target of suspicion due to allegations related to extremism.
However, the Molenbeek neighborhood today seeks to change this stereotype by emphasizing its cultural diversity. The neighborhood is home to over 140 nationalities, and its residents speak several languages. The organization "Molenbeek for Brussels 2030" considered the occasion an opportunity to rewrite the neighborhood's history and present it as a model for coexistence and pluralism.
Jasmin Del Monte, director of the organization "Stronger with Words" and participant in the breakfast, confirmed that organizing the breakfast inside a church is a "symbol of diversity and inclusion," reflecting the spirit of the neighborhood based on the convergence of different religions and cultures.
The organization expressed that Ramadan, like Christian fasting and the Jewish Purim, represents a time for solidarity and building connections among people. It added, "What unites us is much greater than what divides us."