This year’s 9th Annual “Tent of Abraham” event took place last week, on July 17th, at Masjid An-Noor on Heim Road.
Hosted by the Western New York chapter of the Muslim Public Affairs Council (WNY-MPAC), the event was an interfaith gathering of local Jews, Christians, and Muslims and was co-sponsored by Congregation Havurah, The Islamic Society of Niagara Frontier, Network of Religious Communities, North Presbyterian Church and Westminster Presbyterian Church.
The 6th Annual ‘Walk of Abraham’ 4.5 mile solidarity walk preceded the event, and started at the North Presbyterian Church and ended at Masjid An-Noor. Here, guests were given an informative presentation on Hajj by Dr. Qazi (and were even lucky enough to view a selfie of him in Mecca!)
Afterwards, they joined the Muslim attendees in breaking their fast during an Iftar dinner provided by Kabob and Curry.
Given that Ramadan is a time to reflect in ways to help the less fortunate, guests were also asked to donate cash or non- perishable food for the needy.
Overall, it was a popular event that highlighted shared values, encouraged interfaith dialogue and celebrated religious and cultural diversity. In fact, it was so successful that extra chairs and tables had to be set up outside to accommodate everyone.
All the donations collected from the event will be matched by MPAC and distributed within the community.