Around 40, mostly male, worshippers from the North Bronx Islamic Center and Bengali Muslim community gathered at Dhaka Food Express & Deli on Bainbridge Avenue in Norwood for an annual Ramadhan Iftar celebration on March 28. The group was joined by several guests and visitors to mark the approach of the end of the holy month of Ramdhan which took place on March 29 this year.

 

According to Henry Ford College, Ramadhan is a holy month of worship, study of the Quran, prayer, and fasting. It occurs during the month in which Muslims believe the Quran began to be revealed to the Prophet Muhammad and is a joyous celebration for Muslims. Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam.

 

According to Islamic Relief UK, Iftar is the name of the meal eaten by Muslims at sunset each day to break their fast during Ramadan. It is the main meal of the day for those who are fasting, with the other meal for those who are fasting being Suhoor, which is eaten early in the morning before dawn.

Monjur Chowdhury, a longtime member of Bronx Community Board 7 (CB7), was the evening’s host, welcoming everyone in English and in Arabic, and ensuring they were all served a meal as the group grew larger over the course of the evening.

 

Among the attendees were several senior members of the Muslim community, including President Patrav of the Bangladeshi Community of North Bronx, as well as Mazed Rahman Omi, Ami Efrati, Dr. Mumtaz Jahan, City Councilman Eric Dinowitz (C.D. 11), his two sons, Karla Cabrera Carrera, district manager of Bronx CB7, and her daughter, Leurys Acosta, chair of the Bronx CB7 education committee, and his father, and local registered dietitian and nutritionist working in the community on wellness programs, Gloria Bent, among others.

 

Jahan, a family physician originally from Bangladesh, said she was very happy to be at the event and said she had long wanted to come and visit the local community in The Bronx. “I always had a dream to practice in the Bronx area,” she said, adding that her own practice was in Brooklyn. Jahan will be opening a new practice in The Bronx on May 9 at 372 East 204th Street in Norwood.

 

She added that in Bangladesh, she is an OBGYN, but in the U.S., you have to “start from scratch.” She said that she specialized in women’s health but also saw men, and added that speaking Bengali was a great asset in her work. “They can express all their feelings” she said.

 

Cabrera Carrera wished everyone a happy celebration and encouraged all Muslim and Bengali community members to come to CB7 for help, if needed. “You have an amazing friend here in Monjur, and advocate at the community board, so you can elevate things to him and he will elevate them to the office, and we’ll provide as much assistance as we can,” she said. One of the Muslim leaders of the gathering encouraged those present to connect with CB7 which he said played “a very important role in the community.”

For his part, Acosta also praised Chowdhury, saying, “Monjur, thank you for inviting me. He’s a great friend of the community board. He’s very active and he also loves taking pictures! I love my Bengali people! I love Bangladesh! One day, I would love to visit. I love your food. I love your culture, and most importantly, I love your people, so I’m just happy to be here. Thank you.”

 

Sharing her website, Bent said in part, “If you have a child or children who are picky eaters, because we know the kids don’t want to eat [healthily], I do groups where I encourage them to eat. Thank you so much. I’m so happy to be here.”

 

The councilman, who is Jewish, said he always feels very welcome whenever he comes to visit the Muslim community in Norwood, also crediting Chowdhury for always inviting him. He referenced a recent Citizenship event held at the local library at which Bengali translation was made available.

 

He also talked about the recent installation of some needed Stop signs in the neighborhood, and an investment of $1 million for P.S. 94 Kings College, located at 3530 Kings College Place in Norwood, to build a new cafeteria at which halal meals would be served. He invited all attendees to an Eid celebration he was co-sponsored at City on April 2.

“As elected representatives in government, we’re not always going to look like the people who represent us,” Dinowitz said. “We’re not always going to sound like the people who represent us. I know I don’t speak the same language as some of you but I’m trying a little bit.” He then spoke a few words in Arabic, and said what was important was that despite the differences, the community shared common values.

 

“I know here we care about each other, and our commitment to our faith and our commitment to God, and our commitment to one another,” he said in part before wishing everyone “As-salamu alaykum,” which translates to “Peace be upon you.”