New York: Over 1,000 Muslims broke their fast and attended the “first-ever” Tarawih prayers on Saturday, the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan at New York City’s iconic Times Square.
Meals were distributed to the attendees by the organizers. People from across the U.S. and even as far as Montreal, Canada attended the event. Verses from the Holy Quran were recited and sermons about the significance of the month were delivered.
CBSNews quoted the organizers of the gathering as saying, “For Muslims, it’s not just about fasting so that we understand how those who are food insecure feel. We actually are doing this so that we can become closer and more contentious of our creator, our lord, Allah.”
Regarding the organisation of special prayer in the heart of the city, the organizers told, “We’re here to explain our religion to all those that don’t know what Islam is all about.” “Islam is a religion of peace.” He added.
One of the attendees is quoted to have said, “There’s a lot of misconceptions about Islam.” “There’s crazy people throughout all cultures, all religions, and those small groups of people do not represent the majority … We’re encouraged to pray, fast, do good deeds, give charity.”
One of the organizers said, “The Quran is a divine revelation. It’s the final revelation that was given to the prophet Muhammad, who was a messenger in a series of messengers, just like Jesus, just like Moses,” He added “We are all united and connected together. People need to stop trying to disunite the Christians and the Muslims and the Jews and everyone. That needs to stop.”
