WINCHESTER — People of all faiths came together Friday night in the basement of the Grace Lutheran Church to celebrate a communal dinner on the night before the last day of Ramadan.
The Know Your Neighbor Iftar, or breaking of the Ramadan fast, was put together by Hussein Rashwan, a member of the Muslim community in Winchester, and sponsored by the Islamic Society of Winchester and the Valley Interfaith Council. Nearly 60 people came out to enjoy the meal with family, friends, neighbors and strangers, and it is a tradition that Rashwan said he hopes to continue every year.
Winchester Mayor John David Smith Jr. spoke at Friday night’s event, expressing his enthusiasm for the meal to come but also for the way the interfaith community came together to celebrate the event.
“I think in this day and time that we’re living in right now, with ISIS and some of the Christian organizations out there — with all the strife that’s going on, for something like this to happen in Winchester, it makes my heart warm,” Smith said in his speech. “I know that there are possibilities out there that we all can live together.”
Briahnna M. Brown 