"Anytime we can get together to celebrate the goodness of the traditions of a people, it benefits not only the people who attend, but the community as a whole," said Sister Alice Gerdeman, who attended the "Sharing Ramadan Interfaith Iftar Dinner" at the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati in West Chester.

At the "Sharing Ramadan" Interfaith Iftar Dinner at the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati in West Chester, the Reverend Damon Lynch Jr. (left) joins in the Maghrib, the sunset prayer, in the center's mosque Sunday evening. (Enquirer photo/GLENN HARTONG)

Gerdeman, executive director of the Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center, was among many Catholic religious sisters who attended the event.

"I think it helps with an understanding of the differences in religious theologies, especially when we live in a world where we need to cooperate with each other," she said. "There are so many misconceptions that pass between us."

The iftar, a meal that breaks the day's fast, was a first for the Cincinnati office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations-Ohio, which opened in March. The non-profit, grassroots organization aims at promoting an accurate image of Islam in America and hopes to make the dinner an annual event.

The evening began with a call to prayer and the breaking of the fast with water and dates (the fruit), traditional fast-breaking foods.

Then, Muslims and non-Muslims went to the mosque for evening prayers.

Non-Muslims took off their shoes, the women borrowing scarves for their heads, and watched as their Muslim neighbors bowed, knelt and prayed.

"The simple purity of it - no pictures, no elaborate ornaments or tables - the purity of it was breathtaking," Dan Woods said of his first experience in a mosque. "It's fascinating to see this whole different type of religion of people I live and work with every day."

Those in attendance then returned to the hall for a meal, gathering at tables of diverse faiths.

For Ghada Tarazi, a member of the board of the Council on American-Islamic Relations' Cincinnati office, the event was an opportunity to share her faith with others.

"From my perspective, Ramadan is a very special month, and we always like to share it with people," she said. "We want people to see the day-to-day of our lives. We are trying to say to people; we are normal people. We are not terrorists. We are good people."

Fasting during the month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, along with a declaration of one God, five daily prayers, a commitment to charity and making the hajj, or pilgrimage, at least once in a lifetime.

This week, about 7 million Muslims in the U.S., 15,000 in Greater Cincinnati, will mark Lailat ul-Qadr, or Night of Power, on Tuesday. The day is the anniversary of when the Prophet Muhammad began receiving revelations from God through the angel Gabriel. The month of fasting will end with the feast day Eid ul-Fitr on Saturday or Sunday, depending on the moon.

But perhaps more interesting than the meal and program was the conversation among people of different faiths. "I think it's essential to build bridges between different peoples in the city, to see religion as a means of hope, not to divide people," said Tommie Thompson of the Interfaith Alliance.

For the Rev. Damon Lynch Jr., the event provided an opportunity to establish important relationships with people of faith.

"This is about simply being with our brothers and sisters in the Islamic community," Lynch said.

Ramadan

• A lunar month that began Oct. 16 and continues until Eid ul-Fitr, or the Feast of the Fast-Breaking, Saturday or Sunday, depending on the moon.

• Believed to be the month in the Islamic calendar when God revealed the Quran.

• Muslims abstain from food, drink and sex from dawn to sunset.

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Muslims will break-fast with friends and family nightly and participate in special prayers, called taraweeh, after the regular nighttime prayer.

• On Lailat ul-Qadr, or the Night of Power on Tuesday, Muslims will observe the anniversary of the night the Prophet Muhammad began receiving revelations from God through the angel Gabriel.