Cardinal attends first-ever Ramadan Iftar at Tower of London

l-r: Cardinal Nichols, Imam Mohamed Mahmoud OBE, Sadiq Khan, Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, Bishop Lusa Nsenga-Ngoy with Beefeater

Source: Lord Mayor's Office/CBCEW

On Monday 4 April, the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, the Bishop of Willesden, Canon Tricia Hillas, Imam Mohamed Mahmoud OBE. and other faith leaders attended the first-ever Ramadan Iftar at the Tower of London together with 100 young Londoners aged 16-25 from different faith traditions.

The Interfaith Iftar is an annual event organised by the Naz Legacy Foundation in collaboration with Historic Royal Palaces and chaired by Harris Bokhari. The last in-person Interfaith Iftar before the Covid lockdown was held in 2019 at St Paul's Cathedral. In 2017 the Naz Legacy Iftar at Archbishop's House in Westminster.

Monday night's event was the first time in the Tower of London's 955 year history that an Iftar has been held in the building.

The event had an ecological theme, with the faith leaders and young people discussing the role of faith communities in building a sustainable future.

Mayor Khan said: "It was an honour to join with young people of different faiths to break our fasts at the historic Tower of London on Monday night. Strengthening our faith in the company of others has always been a key part of Ramadan and the Naz Legacy Foundation interfaith iftar was a fantastic way to bring communities together. It was humbling to learn from each other and share our experiences, and showed once again that London's greatest strength is our diversity."

Cardinal Vincent Nichols said this coming together of three faiths (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) was "a true expression of the call to worship God and to love our neighbour."

Cardinal Nichols, told ICN the past two years of the pandemic when such gatherings were not possible had shown the importance of faith in God.

He said: "To come together to pray at a time of fasting, common to all three faiths, is a blessing after the past two years. We remember with compassion all those who have tragically died and suffered during the pandemic.

"I thank the Naz Legacy Foundation for organising this year's interfaith Iftar at the Tower of London and for enabling us to come together and pray. For all who live by faith in God, reflection and prayer always go hand in hand. Prayer completes reflection. Reflection informs prayer. Prayer opens our life to its true horizon. Without prayer we live in a foreshortened world and are more easily swamped by its clamour and tragedy."