Leeds Civic Hall opened its doors for a civic iftar meal hosted by the Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Dan Cohen, bringing together council leaders, foster carers and faith representatives to mark the holy month of Ramadan.
Held in the Civic Hall’s Banqueting Suite, the evening was attended by the Leader of Leeds City Council, Councillor James Lewis, alongside invited guests including HM Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire, Professor Adeeba Malik CBE, and the Children’s Mayor of Leeds, Sienna Silva-Farber. The event also raised support for the Lord Mayor’s chosen charity, Leeds Mencap.
At the Lord Mayor’s invitation, a group of Foster4Leeds foster carers who are either Muslim or care for Muslim children were welcomed in recognition of their work supporting children and young people across the city. Faith leaders from other religions also attended, including the Bishop of Kirkstall, the Reverend Arun Arora, and the Lord Mayor’s chaplain, Rabbi Anthony Gilbert.
As sunset approached, Qari Asim MBE from Makkah Mosque led the call to prayer, signalling the start of iftar. In keeping with tradition, those fasting broke the day’s fast with dates and water before guests enjoyed a buffet-style meal.
The Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Dan Cohen said:
“The civic iftar meal, which is quickly becoming a fantastic tradition here in Leeds, is an opportunity to bring together all the communities the office of the Lord Mayor represents around our city, and build harmony, trust, and understanding between our cultures.
“The holy month of Ramadan is not only a time of abstinence. It is a time of reflection, of coming together and of charity. I hope that by sharing this meal, we brought our multi-faith communities in Leeds a little closer and built on our understanding of each other.”
Councillor James Lewis, Leader of Leeds City Council said:
“It is always an honour to attend the civic iftar and take the opportunity to underline the Council’s full commitment to doing all we can to tackle discrimination of all types, including anti-Muslim prejudice in Leeds.
“This includes our adoption in 2022 of the Anti-Muslim Prejudice definition as something that is direct or indirect hatred and discrimination against anyone of Islamic faith on grounds of their belief and practice.
“We undertake regular engagement work with various groups in communities across Leeds, and we run awareness raising campaigns on how to report Islamophobic hate and the support available to victims; as well as to highlight the many positive contributions British Muslims make every day to life in Leeds.”
During Ramadan, Muslims fast during daylight hours, abstaining from food and drink, and break the fast each evening at iftar, timed to coincide with the call to the evening prayer as the days gradually lengthen.
The programme was led by Councillor Asghar Khan, the council’s executive member for communities, customer service and community safety, who acted as master of ceremonies with support from Councillor Abdul Hannan. Speeches were given by Sienna Silva-Farber, Professor Adeeba Malik CBE and Councillor James Lewis, reflecting on the importance of community, service and mutual understanding.
The civic iftar was only the fourth of its kind to be held at Leeds Civic Hall, continuing a tradition that aims to celebrate faith, inclusion and the city’s diverse communities.
