The COVID-19 pandemic means local Muslims this Ramadan can t invite their interfaith neighbors to large celebratory meals to break their fast each night, but area faith leaders say they ve found other ways to build connections with the community.
Ramadan, which begins Monday, April 12, is a holy month during which Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. Community iftars the meals that break fast are a way to invite others to learn more about Islam and build bridges through eating together, said Imran Malik, spokesman for NOOR Islamic Cultural Center, a mosque in Hilliard. The pandemic has restricted some activities, Malik said. But it has replaced them with other forms of acts of kindness and acts of spirituality.