St. Pete Catalyst; Published By: Mark Parker
Hundreds of residents representing all faiths came together Tuesday to “embrace their fellow human beings.”
The Tampa Bay Area Muslim Association held its 5th annual Iftar Dinner at the St. Petersburg Coliseum. The event celebrates the traditional after-sunset dinner amongst loved ones following a day of fasting in recognition of Ramadan.
In a letter to guests, the Iftar Dinner Committee noted that the event’s theme and mission is “breaking bread together with love and compassion – two necessary pillars of every well-functioning society.” There was no assigned seating as organizers encouraged attendees to share a table with people of varying beliefs.
“Your presence here tonight is emblematic of all that is great about America; the United States of America,” read the welcoming letter. “Compassion pushes us to contemplate matters from others’ perspectives so that we may muster the courage to open our minds and hearts … And once we do, it becomes impossible for us not to love the beauty of not only our similarities, but our differences.”
While speakers did not address the antisemitic fliers distributed by an unknown group just a few days before the event, the incident underscored the need for the themes of love, peace and compassion espoused during the presentations. Residents in the Old Northeast neighborhood of St. Petersburg reported finding the fliers in local book exchange boxes Sunday. Read more
