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Despite all the advances of modernity, hunger is still widespread in the world. Eleven percent of the world’s population, a total of 830 million people, suffer from hunger. Although the U.S. is among the most affluent countries on the planet, the hunger rate here is actually higher than the world rate at 12.7% — a total of 41.5 million people suffering from hunger. And in California, despite having the 5th-largest economy in the world, the hunger rate is still higher than the global average, at 12.3%, or almost five million people out of a total state population of nearly 40 million.
In Islam, as in all religions, there are numerous scriptural injunctions about the importance of feeding the hungry. Most famous among them is the prophetic saying,
“He is not a believer whose stomach is filled while his neighbor goes hungry.”
In recognition of the need for raising public awareness about hunger in the region and the nation, Bay Area Muslim communities along with People Acting in Community Together (PACT) and other interfaith allies addressed the issue of hunger during Ramadan (May 16th, 2018 through June 14th, 2018) in the following ways:
- Delivered sermons in mosques to raise awareness of hunger in the nation and Bay Area and offered ways to help alleviate the problem.
- Distributed information on hunger and how to alleviate it to congregations and guests at interfaith iftar dinners.
[Download the Hunger handout for Ramadan] - Distributed information on how to avoid waste in Ramadan to their congregations.
[Download the Avoiding Waste in Ramadan handout]
You can learn more about the Ramadan 2018 hunger awareness campaign by reading ING Content Manager Ameena Jandali’s blog. Please see the following media articles as well:
- Ramadan Mubarak: Bay Area Muslims Celebrate Holy Month, Raise Hunger Awareness
- Food and Faith Shared at Ramadan Open House
- Muslims seek common ground with fellow Americans during Ramadan
- Alameda’s Muslims observing Ramadan holy month
- T-Shirts, Socks And Hygiene Packs Distributed To Homeless Today As Part Of Human Dignity Day
- Local Muslim family celebrates their iftar meal with homemade dishes
- In the US, Muslims are making slow inroads toward a greener Ramadan
- Episcopalians help Muslims break their daily fast at interfaith iftar dinners during Ramadan
- Campaign Launch: Bay Area Muslims Take on Hunger in Ramadan
Participating Organizations
The following organizations are participating in the campaign this Ramadan. We have listed events below in order of the dates of their public interfaith iftar (breaking of the fast) dinners or public service events.
- Pacifica Los Altos:
- Interfaith Iftar at Los Altos United Methodist Church – Thursday, May 17th
- Pacifica East Bay:
- Annual Interfaith Iftar – Saturday, May 19th
- Pacifica Sunnyvale:
- Interfaith Iftar at Mormon Church – Wednesday, May 23rd
- Pacifica San Francisco:
- Interfaith Iftar at Calvary Presbyterian Church in San Francisco – Wednesday, May 23rd
- Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California in Oakland:
- Interfaith Iftar – Saturday, May 26th
- San Ramon Valley Islamic Center:
- Interfaith Iftar – Saturday, May 26th
- Pacifica Sunnyvale:
- Interfaith Iftar – Thursday, May 31st
- Yaseen Burlingame Center:
- Interfaith Iftar – Thursday, May 31st
- Shia Association of Bay Area in San Jose:
- Interfaith Iftar – Saturday, June 2nd
- Rahima Foundation:
- Human Dignity Day – Saturday, June 2nd
- Muslim Community Association in Santa Clara:
- Interfaith Iftar – Saturday, June 2nd
- Evergreen Islamic Center:
- Interfaith Iftar – Saturday, June 2nd
- South Bay Islamic Association in San Jose:
- Interfaith Iftar at the Harris Way mosque – Sunday, June 3rd
- MCC in Pleasanton:
- Interfaith Iftar – Sunday, June 3rd
- West Valley Muslim Association in Saratoga
- Interfaith Iftar– Sunday, June 3rd
- Pacifica Berkeley:
- Interfaith Iftar at Congregation Netivot Shalom – Sunday, June 3rd
- Pacifica San Jose:
- Interfaith Iftar at San Jose Cathedral – Tuesday, June 5th
- American Muslim Voice Palo Alto:
- Interfaith Iftar – Sunday, June 10th at American Muslim Voice Foundation founder Samina Sundas’s home in Palo Alto.
- Islamic Center of Zahra:
- Community food drive for Alameda Food Bank – Sunday, June 10th