News / grand iftar
‘Special moment’ as Grand Iftar returns to St Mark’s Road
It was a poignant moment as tributes were paid to a much-loved community activist who had been the “backbone of the Grand Iftar” before her death.
“Hanna [Ahmed] was a mother of four amazing, beautiful children, Hanna was a wife, Hanna was a sister to us all and Hanna was a dear friend, but most of all Hanna was an activist and a leader,” said friend and colleague Moestak Hussein, addressing the people gathered on St Mark’s Road on Thursday evening.
“She led in cohesion, she led in supporting communities and advocating for them, she led in peace and she led in full spirit.”
is needed now More than ever
Former colleagues and friends paid tribute to Hanna, who was described as an incredible woman and pioneer. Aside from playing a key role in organising the Grand Iftar, Hanna did a huge amount of work to ensure gender violence was top of the agenda and protect women and girls before her death in 2020 at the age of 34.
It was in her memory the celebration returned to Easton for the first time in three years to see people from different backgrounds and faiths gather to break bread and mark the end of the fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Although the continued existence of Covid meant this was a much scaled-back affair compared to previous years that saw thousands pack onto St Mark’s Road, it was a special moment for many to see it return.
As 8.30pm approached, the time to break the fast, scores of volunteers passed down bowls of dates, bottles of water, boxed meals of curry and rice and bags of samosas.
Addressing the gathering, one of the organisers, Afzal Shah, said: “This is a very special event – three years after the first Grand Iftar took place here, isn’t it great to see so many people from our community gathered here?
Reflecting on the impact of the pandemic, he added: “One thing we do know is that our city has community resilience – isn’t it great that we will be breaking bread together?”
Shenaz Dar, chair of the Pakistani Welfare Organisation and one of the organisers of the Grand Iftar told Bristol24/7 she is pleased to see communities coming together after such a long wait.
“I’m really happy that the community welcome this event, they come, they share food with each other. This is a Muslim event but it is for all of the community and many non-Muslims attend, take part and contribute with us. I welcome all of the community to come and take part and make Ifter with us.”
Main photo: Ellie Pipe
Read more: In photos: Grand Iftar 2022
Listen to the latest Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast:
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
