On Thursday July 9th, over 350 guests attending the 2nd annual "Sharing Ramadan with your Muslim Neighbors" event at the Daar-Ul-Islam Masjid (517 wiedman rd, Ballwin MO 63011). This event was organized by the Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis (IFGSTL) and the St. Louis Chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-St. Louis).
During the event guests were given guided tours of the Islamic Center. Tables were setup where guests could ask any questions about Islam and Muslims and have them answered. These Islamic Information tables gave away free copies of the Quran and other free literature as gifts. The ladies of the Muslim community setup tables where they would artistically write peoples names in Arabic and give them the writing as a gift. There was even a table where ladies could get Henna art on their hands.
Several dignitaries attended the event including County Executive Steve Stenger, State Senator Jill Schupp who presented a proclamation plague to IFGSTL, and State Senator Scott Sifton. All dignitaries gave speeches welcoming the community to the event and encouraged more dialogue and bridge building.
Dr. Helal Ekramuddin, the President of IFGSTL gave welcoming remarks during the event. Mufti Asif Umar, the Imam of IFGSTL gave an educational presentation about Ramadan and the blessings of fasting during that month.
Guests broke their fast at 8:30 PM with the ifar, breaking of the fast meal. Guests were then taken to the Prayer hall to witness the Maghrib (sunset) prayer and were then served dinner catered by Syed Catering. (If you are interested in catering for Syed catering please call Shahid Syed at 314-265-2275).
IFGSTL and CAIR-STL would like to thank all of our guests, volunteers, speakers, and organizers for participating in the event and we are excited to have the community attend next years open house, In Shaa Allah (God Willing).