Leaders from various faiths were invited to break fast at a Brisbane mosque over Easter

It’s often thought food brings people from all walks of life together, but for a mosque in Brisbane’s south — it was fasting.

While Easter celebrations continue across the country, more than 100 people gathered at an interfaith symposium in Stockleigh to not only observe Ramadan but to embrace all religions.

The annual event held by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community included leaders from Hindu, Jewish and Christian faiths, as well as the local Imam.

“The interfaith dialogue helps us increase understanding of individual religions in an effort to increase love and acceptance,” Imam Mohammad Ata-e-Rabbi Hadi said.

 

“We’ve invited various communities to our mosque to break Iftar and talk on the topic of ‘fasting in my religion’.”

During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims will fast from sunrise to sunset.

To break that fast, it’s known as Iftar.

 

“Fasting is incredibly important, it’s one of the five pillars of the Islamic faith and is pivotal in developing a relationship with God,” he said.

The symposium heard of different ways religions experience fasting — the general consensus being the practice was to cleanse the body and purify the soul.

 

What does it mean for different faiths?

The concept of fasting in Hindu faith was a practice that occurs on many different occasions.

Umesh Chandra is a Hindu chaplain and a representative of the Hindu community, who spoke at the interfaith symposium.

“In today’s day and age we need to know about all cultures, this forum — being able to sit and speak together — we found there’s not a lot that divides us,” Mr Chandra said.

“There is a lot that we have in common and fasting is one topic that many religions share. If you look at the holy month of Ramadan and Lent — this brings us together”.

Judaism captures fasting through various holidays like Yom Kippur and Passover.

Keynote speaker Gail Paratz, from the Jewish Board of Deputies, explained fasting as a way to cleanse the body.

“It’s a physical, emotional and spiritual cleansing. When you fast, it’s a day that is different and anything that is different is special,” Ms Paratz said.

“When you aren’t eating, drinking and carrying on as normal, you begin to focus on what is important in life.”

It’s a sentiment that was echoed by Dr Peter Hoppe, a representative from the Christian community who had just observed Lent.

“Through depriving yourself of worldly pleasures, it goes beyond just eating less, it’s about changing your heart, which is important,” Dr Hoppe said.

“The outcome of fasting is purification, in the sense by reducing your intake you’re able to open yourself up to more things.

“You have all the different faiths and different cultures, but at the end of the day there is only one humanity and that unites us”.