Here is a good example of non-attachment to the ego identities that separate and divide. It is nice to see positive religious news for a change.
Source: The Montreal Gazette
Sadaf Kotwal of the Islamic Community Centre of Brossard helps serve dinner at the Old Brewery Mission on Christmas Eve.
Photograph by: PIERRE OBENDRAUF, THE GAZETTE, The Gazette
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It was in a spirit of giving that members of a South Shore mosque contributed $2,000 to sponsor the Christmas Eve supper at the Old Brewery Mission and spent two hours serving it to more than 300 people.
This is double the minimum $1,000 contribution the mission seeks from those who sponsor a supper.
It was believed to be the first time an Islamic community group has volunteered to sponsor and serve an evening meal at the mission, officials said.
Following afternoon prayers at the mission on Clark St., about 20 members of the Islamic Community Centre of Brossard set the tables and passed plates of chicken, rice and steamed carrots to the first shift of diners.
Ismail Mohammed of Greenfield Park, a retired CBC accountant, said he had suggested sponsoring the meal to fellow mosque members.
"We don't celebrate Christmas, but serving humanity is serving God. That is what our teaching says," he observed.
"We want to work with people from all religions," he added. "We came for peace in this country and we want to establish peace," said Mohammed, a native of India who grew up in Pakistan.
Monique Khan of Brossard said serving others is the perfect holiday activity: "I feel happy when I make other people happy. It's a time for sharing and we give what we can"
Her husband, Irfan Khan, a building technician, said feeding the needy is about immigrants contributing to their country.
"When we came here, we didn't have anything. We worked hard and we did well. This society has given us so much, and now we have to give back."
Said Suleman, who came to Canada as a refugee from Eritrea, said many fellow Muslims are successful and highly educated and "it's time to step in and do our share."
"We have to think of others, of feeding our neighbours, to really participate."
Sabiha Sheikh of Brossard, a part-time bookkeeper, said she often helps serve food to people in other mission-type settings.
"It's time for us to contribute to the city we live in. We want to show that we are caring people -we are generous and want to share."
iblock@montrealgazette.com
© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette
Nice to read some news from Montreal. I taught to many practicing Muslim women, and although I disagree with Islam (or indeed any religion), I have to say that they were often the nicest, best behaved students I ever had.
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