The Muslim community of Mattancherry along with 64 Kashmiri Muslims engaged in business in Jew Town organised an Iftar along Synagogue Lane on Thursday.
“This was perhaps the first time that an Iftar was held in the street unlike in the past when it was held in individual households. We wanted to send out a message of peace and co-existence when the world seems mired in violence,” said Junaid Sulaiman, a third generation trader in Jew Town and former secretary of Kerala Handicrafts Association. He was instrumental in organising the event.
Prayers were also held in the open as prayer mats were placed on a tarpaulin that lined the street. The function was open to all and over a hundred people, including tourists, attended. The Jewish Synagogue trustee and staffers attended the Iftar even as the Jewish festival Passover is under way.
“Traders, police officers, trade union members and contractors of Cochin Smart Mission Limited, which gave a facelift to the roads in the area and made the endeavour possible, attended the Iftar. The cooperation and participation have been such that we are tempted to organise similar initiatives in the future as well,” said Mr. Sulaiman.
