Historic Iftar dinners held for the first time at 10 Downing Street and Lancaster House
A historic event was held at 10 Downing Street, the UK Prime Minister’s official residence as well as at Lancaster House which is the British Foreign Office.
Some of the most powerful British Muslim leaders were invited to an iftar dinner at both the venues where special arrangements were made for the Azan – Muslim call to prayer, recitation of the Holy Quran, and prayer.
Guests were welcomed at 10 Downing Street by the chairman of Conservative Party, Greg Hands, who thanked them for their valuable contributions to the British society and talked about Islam being a religion of peace and security. He added that Ramadan has become an integral part of the British culture and society.
At the Lancaster House, the first Iftar dinner was marked by a warm welcome by British Secretary of State Kemi Badenoch and Business Minister Lord Johnson, who spoke to the guests attending the event. They congratulated everyone on the occasion of Ramadan and paid tribute to the Muslim communities residing in the UK.
Suleman Raza MBE with his team (Image by Twitter @GregHands)
Both Badenoch and Lord Johnson expressed their vision of making London the center of Islamic finance in the world.
The Imam of Al-Azhar University in Egypt, Sheikh Hani Saad Mahmood, was invited to the event as the special guest and mesmerised everyone present at the event with his recitation of the Holy Quran.
Celebrity chef Suleman Raza MBE, the founder of Spice Village, prepared traditional Pakistani cuisine for the guests at both the events. They were very impressed with the delicious food and the hospitality provided to them by Raza and his team.
The iftar dinners held at 10 Downing Street and Lancaster House marked a significant step by the government towards promoting cultural and religious diversity, as well as peace and inclusivity in the country.
