Record History, Hundreds Of Muslims Join The 2022 Open Iftar On The Steps Of London's Royal Albert Hall

JAKARTA - Hundreds of Muslims gathered on the steps of the Royal Albert Hall, London, England for the 'Open Iftar 2022', with organizers hoping it would be one of the biggest iftars the UK has ever seen.

Around 500 worshipers broke their fast for Ramadan against the backdrop of a famous concert venue in central London on April 13, after being converted into a spectacular dining room.

Lawyer Siddiq Fazaluddin said events like this were a good way to show a different side of Islam.

"I think I like the atmosphere, it's a really nice feeling and I think it's a good way to promote Islam as well, spread things out to the public," he was quoted as saying by The National News April 16.

"Islam gets a lot of negative perspectives, so it's good to get something positive out there to show what we believe in, we believe in taking care of each other, a good sense of friendship and making a positive contribution to society," he said.

The free event, which is open to members of all communities across the UK, is organized by the Ramadan Tent Project, a foundation dedicated to developing knowledge and understanding of Ramadan.

Organizers said the banquet, which was one of their first face-to-face events since the coronavirus outbreak, was a huge success.

Omar Salha, founder and chief executive of the Ramadan Tent Project, said: "It's thrilling, it's great to see so many people coming together, especially after two years of virtual events, to finally come together in person, to have this physical event, to meet people in person. direct, to have the exchange, the warmth, the affection from different members of different communities, it's just amazing."

Started by students at SOAS University London as a place for young people to break their fast during Ramadan, in the last eleven years, the organization has reached more than 350,000 people across the UK.

For some people, like Roxanna Wahab, the most important thing about the event is being able to build a relationship.

"It's a relationship with God, a relationship with Muslims, a relationship with people around me, just being around people. And I'm enjoying this, basically I'm enjoying it, and that's why I'm here today, to interact with people. -people," he said.

In addition to the Royal Albert Hall, the 2022 Open Iftar has hosted other Ramadan events in the UK this year, including gatherings of hundreds of people at the Queens Park Rangers football stadium in west London and another at Hay's Galleria on the banks of the River Thames.

Known, inaugurated in 1871, the Royal Albert Hall has played host to big names in classical, pop and rock music. The coronavirus pandemic has forced the place to close for more than nine months, the longest closure since the outbreak of the Second World War.