Ten years after it began, it’s safe to say the annual Interfaith Dinner at Jam-e-Masjid Islamic Center in Boonton has become a beacon of diversity in Morris County.
Drawing an array of religious, community and government leaders since 2015, with a one-year pause during the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s iftar event on Wednesday night brought people of many different faiths together for fellowship, prayer and a fast-ending feast during the holy month of Ramadan.
As sundown approached, Imam Basel Hamdeh offered prayers and explained the meaning of Ramadan, which this year began on March 10 and will end on April 9. Fasting from dawn to dusk during Ramadan, he said, is a sacrifice to “gain consciousness.”
“We believe when you are conscious of God, you are conscious of yourself,” Hamdeh explained. “When you see the good in God, God allows you to see the good in others.”
Since the beginning, the mosque on Harrison Street has co-hosted the event with the Different Faiths One Family organization co-founded by Gul Khan of Montville. Khan introduced speakers Wednesday ranging from the mayors of Parsippany, Boonton and Montville to local pastors, county Surrogate Heather Darling and Sheriff James Gannon.
“Friends, getting together for events like this one is about recognizing the shared values that unite us,” Khan said. “Our diversity, not a source of division, but a source of strength through common community.”
Prayers for Gaza
Most of the speakers expressed their delight in the chance to break bread with the Muslim community. But Khan also read a statement acknowledging the humanitarian crisis in war-torn Gaza, where more than 32,000 people have been killed and 74,000 wounded, according to the Gaza health ministry. Israel invaded the territory after Hamas launched its terror attack Oct. 7, killing almost 1,200 people and taking more than 240 hostages.
“During the past few months, we have been mourning the loss of many gracious lives, including children, women and elderly,” he said. “Regardless of our individual faiths and traditions, how we look, where we live, we are all children of God. We pray to you, Lord, for peace.”
Hamdeh provided additional perspective on the crisis, and continued the lessons of Ramadan.
“When our connection with God is strengthened, our connection with us as a community will also be strengthened,” he said. “When people ask me about fasting: ‘Do you get hungry?’ Yes, I do get hungry, but I know when the sun sets, I am going to have a feast. And my problem’s not going to be looking for food. My problem is going to be choosing food, while others around the world, their trouble is finding food.”
More:At Ridgewood service, imam and rabbi seek to bridge ‘pain and agony’ of Israel-Gaza fight
Rabbi Mark Finkel of the Pine Brook Jewish Center also reflected on the crisis in the Middle East.
“I see this as a sacred time, whether it’s in our community, the Muslim community, the Christian community, this is a time when we can wrap ourselves into the spiritual moment and share it,” Finkel said.
Sheriff close to home
Attending the event was a short commute for the sheriff.
“This is my neighborhood, I’m walking distance from here,” said Gannon, a Boonton native who patrolled the town as a young police officer. Other law-enforcement leaders speaking included Montville Chief Andrew Caggiano and Boonton police Captain and Officer-in-Charge Christopher Petonak.
Gannon added that his office coordinates with local and state agencies to provide security for the 351 houses of worship in Morris County.
“The most important thing my office can do is protect religious freedom,” the sheriff said.
Petonak took the opportunity to engage with some of the younger attendees to recruit for the Boonton department.
“Who wants to be a cop?” he asked, seeing eager hands raised from a boy and a girl.
William Westhoven is a local reporter for DailyRecord.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: wwesthoven@dailyrecord.com
Twitter: @wwesthoven