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French mosques are opening doors for the homeless to share iftar with Muslims during Ramadan |
PARIS — Mosques in France have decided to open up their doors for the homeless to share iftar meals during the holy fasting month of Ramadan.
"We used to offer hot meals for the hungry and homeless outside the mosque," Abdel-Qadir al-Wanisy, the head of Zaitouna mosque in eastern Paris, told IslamOnline.net.
"This year we are opening our mosque doors for them to share iftar meals," he added.
French Muslims, numbering nearly six million, are making the final preparations to welcome the holy fasting month.
The umbrella French Council of Muslim Faith and the Union of Islamic Organizations in France (UOIF) announced Tuesday, September 11, that Ramadan starts Thursday, September 13.
The idea of opening mosques to non-Muslim was the brainchild of Paris Grand Mosque which has for years been offering hot meals for hungry and homeless non-Muslims.
The Muslim Soup for All organization has been championing an annual to provide hot soup for poor Muslims and non-Muslims alike across France during Ramadan.
There is no official count of mosques in France but the Interior Ministry estimates the number at 1650.
Muslims community leader put the number at nearly 2000, mostly housed in small, modest halls described as "basement mosques."
They complain that such rooms are too small for their congregations, especially during Ramadan when many attend the Tarawih prayers.
Know Islam
Lhaj Thami Breze, the UOIF chairman, said Ramadan is an opportunity to educate non-Muslims about Islam.
"Iftar-sharing is a chance to allow non-Muslims to know our faith and talk to Muslims inside mosques," he told IOL.
Sheikh Zuhir Bureik, the head of the French Council of Imams, agreed.
"We invite the French people to come and visit our mosques and listen to Ramadan sermons," he told IOL.
"This would help them talk to Muslims face to face and know more about their faith."
Bureik, also the imam of Tarique bin Zyad mosque, noted that Ramadan has always been in the spotlight.
"We have come to notice that during Ramadan non-Muslims and the media show increasing interest in Islam."
Bureik said Tarique bin Zyad mosque receives between 3 to 4 people who want to embrace Islam every week.
According to Muslim figures, some 60,000 French people have reverted to Islam, including dignitaries like soccer player Franck Ribery and soccer coach Philippe Troussier.
Many of them hesitate to declare their new faith outright, fearing discrimination at home or work and a stereotypical view that converts tilt towards extremism.
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