June 19, 2015, Queens, NY – Muslims across the world fast every year during the holy month of Ramadan. Ramadan is an opportunity to strengthen ties with family and friends in the community and to share thoughts and experiences while enjoying dinner. The Turkish Cultural Center (TCC) gave an iftar in Queens, New York. People that were fasting were relieved to finally eat after 18 hours of fasting. Among the most frequently asked questions were: “Isn’t it hard to fast?” and “How can you stand it?”. During the event, attendees of different religions were provided with information about the Ramadan tradition to contribute to inter-religious dialogue. Among those who attended were Governor Andrew Cuomo’s assistant.
TCC director Oguzhan Turan, recipient of the 2014 Citizen of the Year Award, pointed out that the center’s aim is to keep Ramadan alive not only for Muslims, but also for non-muslims. Saturday June 19, was the first day of the iftar tent. There were around 1000 guests and sufi whirling. On Sunday June 20, Iranian Amir Vahap and his band, famous for their Sufi music in New York, took the stage for an hour, drawing great interest from an eclectic multi-national crowd. Turan said that the center is planning to host iftar to more than 3,000 people, as they have done in previous years. He pointed out that his expectations for the program were fulfilled and stated that they will not stop doing this program in coming years.
