Ramadan at Baitul Baseer Mosque Once a year during Ramadan, community members are invited to share in iftar, the

evening meal in which Muslims break their fast. By Adelaide Chen Email the author 5:25am Print &nbps;0 Comments Tweet Email Back to Article Credit Adelaide Chen Photos Baitful Baseer Mosque during iftar. August 20, 2011. Baitful Baseer Mosque during iftar. August 20, 2011. Congressman Mike Honda at podium. The program was emceed by Muhammed Chaudhry (l eft) CEO of Silicon Valley Education Foundation. Add your photos & videos During the holy month of Ramadan when Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, famil ies of the Baitul Baseer Mosque come together, especially on weekends, for the i ftar, or the evening meal that breaks the fast. Once a year during Ramadan, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community opens its doors to th e mosque and invites the non-Muslim community to participate in the meal. At the mosque, the aroma of the awaiting dinner greeted guests as well as Muslim s who had not eaten nor drank since sunrise. Short speeches and prayers were sai d at the podium on a grassy area behind the mosque. Leaders from different religions, including Jewish, Sikh, and the Buddhist templ e next door, spoke of the similarities between their faiths. "We are all children connected to one God," said Rabbi Dana Magot of the Temple Ema nu-El in San Jose. "The more loving we are, the stronger our connection with God." Abraham, recognized by Jews the first Patriarch, can be found in the Qur'an as a prophet and apostle. And Wasim Malik, president of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Milpitas and vic e president of the national organization, put it simply. "Allah is simply the Arabic word for God," he said. "There is no difference betw een God and Allah." Guests from government, at the local, county and federal level included Mayor Jo se Esteves, Councilmember Armando Gomez, Police Chief Dennis Graham, Fire Chief Brian Sturdivant, Pattie Cortese (whose husband Dave Cortese is president of the county board of supervisors), and Congressman Mike Honda. "Tonight is just another opportunity or me to know about other cultures," said H onda. The sun set at 7:53 p.m., which brought the Call to Prayer. Dates and fruit salad were used to break the fast. The meal was presented buffet style, with salad, curries (spinach, eggplant, okra), pasta, naan and breadstic

ks, rice pudding. Women and men of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community dined separately, on different s ides of the mosque, as part of their custom. At the dinner table, Sister Rosemary Everett of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Cu pertino said it was very inviting to see leaders from all faiths. She said she attended the event to show "solidarity with my Muslim brothers and sisters." Related Topics: Iftar and Ramadan Interested in a follow-up to this article? Tweet Email Follow this article Submit a tip Add photos & video &nbps;0 Comments Close Read More in Arts In Photos: 19th Annual Festival of India Grand Parade Leave a comment click here Map data OpenStreetMap contributors, CC-BY-SA