LONDON: The Ramadan Tent Project has returned to one of London’s iconic landmarks, Shakespeare’s Globe, to host for the second time an iftar for nearly 500 people seated in a meticulously rebuilt 17th century theater.
For the past 12 years, the Ramadan Tent Project charity has organized iftar events with a dedicated message of “turn strangers into friends” at some of the UK’s most iconic and loved landmarks, including Trafalgar Square, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and Wembley Stadium.
This Ramadan, the RTP’s first iftar event last week welcomed 350 people into Windsor Castle, for the first time in the royal estate’s 1,000-year history, to break their fast in St George’s Hall, which traditionally hosted banquets for heads of state.
Every year, it seems we are creating new history, but at the same time, we are building new bridges, and that’s the most important thing
Omar Salha, founder of Ramadan Tent Project
In 2023, the RTP organized an open iftar at Shakespeare’s Globe for the first time. It was a different experience compared to this week’s event, as the organizers entertained the audience in the gallery from the creaky wooden thrust stage, which has an open roof, without the help of microphones. Since its launch in 1997, directors of the Globe have debated whether to cling to Elizabethan-era conditions or use modern technology.
Fortunately, microphones and spotlights were used during this week’s iftar. However, attendees and media were instructed to take close-up pictures of the interior to avoid capturing images from the “Macbeth” set, which is set to launch this week on March 13.
People from London, visitors from Scotland, Cambridge, Sheffield, and even a family from South Africa attended the event. (Arab News/Bahar Hussain)
The long queue for the open iftar on the south bank of the River Thames attracted people from London and visitors from Scotland, Cambridge, Sheffield, and even a family from South Africa.
Omar Salha, the founder and CEO of Ramadan Tent Project, told Arab News that the most rewarding experience of putting the open iftars for over a decade is “seeing the smiles on people’s faces, the joy, the spirit and the energy in these events.”
He said the charity was grateful for its increasing support and the generosity of King Charles III, who opened his royal castle for British Muslims to host an iftar.
“Every year, it seems we are creating new history, but at the same time, we are building new bridges, and that’s the most important thing,” he added.
This open iftar is a moment of extending and reaching in friendship, connection, and community
Stella Kanu, CEO of Globe Theatre
Sajeda, one of the first in line, waited for the event to start outside the Globe’s unmistakable thatched roof, white plaster facade, and timber frames, looking at the River Thames. She told Arab News that she attended one of the RTP’s open iftars when they were small and organized in a park in central London.
“You didn’t have to register online then,” she said. “It is always a very enjoyable (iftar) because you see the multicultural aspect of it ... you can see Asians, white people, British and non-British and everyone, so it’s like a melting pot of multi-cultures.”
A blog post on the RTP’s website mentions that Shakespeare employed Muslim characters to challenge Elizabethan ideas of race and identity of his time, most notably through the character of Othello in a play carrying the protagonist’s name.
Stella Kanu, the CEO of Globe Theatre, told Arab News that she hopes the RTP’s iftar becomes a recurring event in the venue’s calendar.
“(This) open iftar (is) a moment of extending and reaching in friendship, connection, and community,” she said. “That’s everything about the Globe and what Ramadan is trying to encourage us to think about in those moments of introspection, prayer, and hope.”
The crowd performed the Maghreb prayer in one of Shakespeare's Globe halls. (Arab News/Bahar Hussain)
The crowd enjoyed some poetry before the Maghreb call to prayer, marking the fasting day’s end. They waited nearly an hour for everyone to finish the Maghreb prayer, which took place in two groups before they were served a delicious meal of chicken or aubergine with chickpeas, pilau rice, and yogurt prepared by the restaurant Comptoir Libanais.
For a moment, everything seemed as though “All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players.” People remained seated in the gallery while eating, gazing at the stage, a replica of the original damaged in fire in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, at a site 230 meters from the current Globe.
At the event, Rayyan and Ayaan, two brothers from London, told Arab News that breaking their fast with people from many different backgrounds and nationalities was “something really special.” Shakirah, an aspiring actress, said she will remember the RTP’s iftar for the community spirit, meeting new people, and bonding with family in a historical place like the Globe.
