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By Jim Smith (Editor, The Woodland Democrat)
Learning more about one another and breaking bread together are ways to break the cycle of violence and hatred among those of different faiths and beliefs was the message heard during the Woodland Muslim Mosque Interfaith Iftar.
The yearly event brings together people from throughout Woodland and Yolo County who are not just Muslim but of many religions and ethnicities.
This year's event on Saturday saw a number of speakers calling out to establish friendships and understanding, particularly in the wake of CONTINUING violence in the Mideast.
The local Interfaith Iftar celebrates the end of the month of Ramadan. Iftar is the breaking of the daily fast with a meal. Ramadan itself is a way for Muslims to recommit to their faith by remembering the deprivations that many people in the world undergo.
This year, dinner came at sundown, or around 8:27 p.m., after evening prayers. Afterward, there was a dinner of traditional Pakistani rice, chicken curry, flatbread, and a spicy barbecue chicken.
Aisha Sadiq, a Woodland youth, told the roughly 250 people present that after a while "fasting is really easy because I don't eat much anyway. But I do get very thirsty while fasting. A few hours before breaking our fast my mom and I cut fruit for the evening meal and I want to give my mom a mom a shout out."
Sadiq said that fasting has taught her self-discipline as WELL as more about traditional Muslim values and CULTURE .
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