 One group of local
Muslims took the charitable aspect of Eid to a whole new level by making
sure others don’t go hungry. As Eid celebrations wrapped up at the
Automotive Building at Exhibition Place on Sunday, members of the Ansaar
Foundation took their high spirits on the road and handed out hundreds
of meals to the homeless.
In their van, the group had 250 servings of lunch,
made up of biryani – mixed
rice with meat – samosas and a drink.
“First I had some before I brought it here ... It's delicious, believe
me, delicious,” said Hamid Syed, President of the Ansaar Foundation.
Those enjoying the lunch definitely agreed.
“Food today is finger lickin' good. It's fit for a king, fit for a queen.
I appreciate for those who supply us this delicious food,” remarked a grateful
man named Sinan.
“I am so ecstatic over it. It's very nice for people to take the time and
help us less fortunate,” another man offered.
Organizers say it's the first time, as far as they know, that the Muslim community
has assembled a meal to commemorate Eid with the homeless.
“After a month of fasting, during which Muslims abstain from food and drink
during daily hours, this is a great opportunity to meet with those who are less
fortunate and just share the daily food,” explains Ansaar’s Nafisah
Chowdhury.
She understands that people within her faith may be among those receiving
the nourishment. “Increasingly, there are more and more people of Muslim
faith who are homeless, unfortunately, and this is an opportunity for the Muslim
community to sort of branch out to them and say that, you know, we're here
to help them.”
- The Ansaar foundation raised money at local mosques during
Ramadan to pay for the lunches
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