Breaking Ramadan Fast at Emirates Stadium

Bishop Joanne Grenfell

What do you want from a religious gathering? Warm fellowship, a sense of spiritual communion, a deep faith? They were all present at the Finsbury Park Mosque's Iftar on Monday evening, not at the Mosque, however, but at the prestigious Emirates Stadium. An Iftar is a meal to break the day's fasting during Ramadan, when a Muslim must fast from sunrise to sunset. Invited were local community, political and religious leaders, all glad to attend, since it was the first to be held since the pandemic started, and also because for many (including myself) it was a great opportunity to see inside the massive Arsenal Stadium!

The Finsbury Park Mosque makes a hugely valuable contribution to our local area, with youth and community events, and linking up with the community outreach arm of nearby Arsenal FC. While working at Westminster Justice and Peace, I had collaborated with FPM to run community games in the Park, during the 2012 Games. Later, we held a joint session on climate change, when the encyclical Laudato Si! was launched, and remained in touch. Every year, moreover, the FPM would hold an open day for the area to visit the Mosque, and some parishioners at my church, St Thomas More, would visit.

In the gap of a few years, it seemed that a more relaxed, open atmosphere had developed. Perhaps we were all so happy to meet and be out of lockdown. I sensed also, however, an openness towards women previously absent. A visit to the Mosque a few years ago had involved seeing a lower floor designated as the women's area, where our male guide had explained to us the activities of the women. One of the key speakers at the Emirate venue, however, was Zara Mohammed, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain, and at only 31, the first woman to hold this post, with a Master's graduate in Human Rights Law, a Training and Development Consultant.

I was encouraged to find that she had a mission to educate and train young people for leadership positions such as hers. She flagged up that around 50% of Muslims in the UK are under 18, and repeated the declaration she had made on her appointment:

"My vision is to continue to build a truly inclusive, diverse and representative body; one which is driven by the needs of British Muslims for the common good. Being elected as the first female Secretary General is quite an honour and I hope it will inspire more women and young people to come forward to take on leadership roles. They are the future of this organisation and our society."

Other speakers supported the Mosque's efforts in the community, and included the Borough Commander of Islington and Camden police, Andy Carter, the Mayor of Islington Cllr Troy Gallagher, the Council leader, Cllr Kaya Comer-Schwartz and the Bishop of Stepney, Reverend Joanne Grenfell.

Many accepted the general invitation to go out to the stadium for selfies and group pictures. This was a wonderful comeback for the Mosque who will also offer a street Iftar, open to all, on Tuesday 19th April, as a memorial to Makram Ali, killed at the Mosque on 19th June 2017.

Sadiq Yusuf, a wonderful singer/chanter, sent me the opening prayer, 'O believers! Fasting is prescribed for you, for those before you - so perhaps you will become mindful of Allah! …. And to fast is better for you, if only you knew.'

The Imam called this mindfulness of Allah, 'God-consciousness'. I felt that Catholics could certainly identify with this aim of fasting, so it was fitting to find this strong link between Lent and Ramadan during Holy Week.