Erie’s Afghan community is inviting neighbors of all backgrounds to share in one of the most meaningful moments of Ramadan — the nightly breaking of the fast.
At the Afghan Community Center on Peach Street, families and volunteers welcomed guests from across Erie — including faith leaders, neighbors, and people experiencing iftar for the first time.
“Ramadan is a very special and spiritual month for Muslims, but tonight is not about breaking a fast. It’s about bringing communities together. We have invited people from different backgrounds, different faiths, different religions just to send a message of unity and belonging.”
Before dinner, the community gathered for the traditional call to prayer — a moment of reflection that many guests were witnessing up close for the first time.
Organizers say that mix of cultures is exactly what they hoped for. Afghan families sat beside longtime Erie residents, talking, laughing, and learning from one another over plates of traditional dishes.
“This is a time in our world and in our country when there is a lot of misunderstanding of each other and a lot of division and miscommunication. So the more that we can break bread together and be with one another’s families and children, I hope that’s an opportunity for all of us to understand each other better and work for peace.”
More than a hundred people attended Sunday’s iftar — a night centered on gratitude, hospitality, and unity.