The inaugural Community Harmony Iftar was held on Wednesday 9th of September 2009 at the beautiful reception lounge, Portofino. As the guests started to arrive, there was an air of anticipation and excitement about the night, many of the guests experiencing the breaking of the fast iftar dinner for the first time.

The night was commenced by the Master of Ceremonies, Ms Mahsheed Ansari, who explained the importance of the adhaan (call to prayer) which was about to be recited, indicating that the sun had set and thus it was time to break the fast. As Muhammed Emin Canli read the adhaan, everyone sat quietly, reflecting on the many blessings in front of them. Once it was time to start eating, the guests started to enjoy the scrumptious food in front of them as they also chatted with the other guests on their table.

The official part of the program commenced with Quran recitation by Bahtiyar Oturk. This was followed by the welcome speech by Mrs Semanur Kombeci, General Manager of Affinity Intercultural Foundation, Wollongong. Mrs Kombeci talked about the importance of interfaith dialogue and expressed her anticipation that “tonight will be the beginning of many other dialogue initiatives so that we can continue to get to know one another and form long lasting friendships.”

Mrs Zuleyha Keskin, the Vice President of Affinity Intercultural Foundation continued the program with a presentation on the meaning of Ramadan, highlighting that fasting was a practice that people of all faiths could relate to in one way or another. “This form of worship expresses, most eloquently, that the webs of our beliefs are spun with the very same fibres” added Zuleyha.

It was now time for a live performance by Mustafa Canli and Muhammed Emin Canli. As the ney (Turkish flute) was played, beautiful nasheeds were sung which was food for the soul.

After feeding the soul, it was time to feed the mind with a keynote presentation by Bishop Peter Ingham, Bishop of Wollongong and Father Ron Peters. Father Ron Peters reflected, “Here in Wollongong, one of the most multicultural and multi-faith places in Australia, we seek to deepen the relationship between our great faiths”. Bishop Peter Ingham echoed these views, adding that we have much in common which can be used as a foundation for our relationship.

Mehmet Saral, the president of Affinity, concluded the night by reflecting on what it meant to share sacred times;

"Earlier this year during Easter, a group of Muslims from Affinity, Wollongong Branch as well as members from the Bilal Mosque attended an Easter Mass at the Wollongong Catholic Cathedral. It was a time for Muslims to share in a sacred time for Christians. Tonight, our Catholic friends, as well as our friends from all faiths, have come here to take part in a sacred time for Muslims. This is true dialogue in practice."

Mehmet Saral thanked everyone for attending the iftar. Hoping he wouldn’t miss anyone, he acknowledged the following guests;

Bishop Peter Ingham, Bishop of Wollongong Catholic Diocese
Fr Ron Peters, Dean of the Cathedral Parish of Saint Francis Xavier Wollongong Catholic Diocese
Cr Darinka Radinovic, Wollongong Council
Cr Peter O’Rourke, Shellharbour Council
Senior Constable Canvin, Wollongong Police
Rima El-hage, Policewoman, Wollongong Police
Dr Greg Rose & Yoke Berry, Jewish Society
David Lear, Principal of Edmund Rice College
Ken & Jean McLean, The Anglican Church
Rev Gordon Bradberry, Uniting Church
Rita Fitt, St Mary’s College
Rev John Reed, Illawarra Grammar School

Mehmet Saral also acknowledged members from the Muslim community who attended the dinner;

Mr Mehmet Kirtas, Feza Foundation Wollongong Branch
Imam Mustafa Canli, Bilal Mosque in Cringilla
Mr Bahtiyar Ozturk, President of Bilal Mosque
Shk Abdul Arhman, Omar Mosque
Shk Jemil Elbiza, Essence of Life
Mr Deniz Yildirim, Sule College Wollongong Campus Principal
Ms Maha El-hage, Illawarra Muslim Womens Assoc
Mr Umit Gunes, Australian Milli Gorus Turkish organisation
Isa and Sema Kansu, Kotku Dergah Sufi group

The feedback received was extremely heart warming;

On behalf of my husband and myself, I would like to thank you for the invitation to the Community Harmony Iftar Dinner.

We both enjoyed the evening very much - the meal, the company and the speakers.  Above all, we were impressed at the genuine desire among those present to work together for harmony among Moslems, Jews and Christians.

Jean McLean
 
Regional Advisor
Anglican Church, Cross Cultural Ministry
Wollongong Region

The concept of the community members coming together to share a meal during the holy month of Ramadan, regardless of background, religion, sex or age was excellent.

The night was delivered in a very professional manner and the diverse range of speakers and entertainment made it all the more enjoyable.

I only hope that this event is repeated annually and grows in its numbers so that more members of the community may enjoy and benefit from attending.

Once again congratulations to all involved and well done on such a successful night.

Rima Elhage
NSW Police Force
Multicultural Community Liaison Officer
Wollongong Local Area Command