BILLERICA — To celebrate the holy month of Ramadan, the Dawoodi Bohra community of Boston hosted an iftar dinner at their community center on March 16, joined by local representatives, interfaith leaders, and neighbors.
Ramadan, the ninth month of the Muslim calendar, is a time of reflection and connection as families and friends gather to break bread that begins from sunset and ends at sundown over iftar.
Over the course of 30 days, Muslims around the world dedicate themselves to worship, restraint, and introspection.
Throughout the event, heartfelt remarks by both community members and guests acknowledged the importance of unity, harmony, and understanding that Ramadan embodies.
The evening opened with a Quranic recitation, followed by a message from His Holiness Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, the leader of the worldwide Dawoodi Bohra community, conveyed through President of the Boston community, Quraish Shehabuddin.
His message emphasized the values of peace, unity, and service.
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who joined the gathering over Zoom from Washington D.C., shared her remarks and extended her warm wishes to the community.
She said, “It is powerful to be here with you. It is powerful to be with people who care deeply about their neighbors and about taking care of one another.
My faith drives me to do the same, and I am honored to be with you.”
A young community member, Nisreen Dahodwala, reflecting on Ramadan as well as the importance of unity, stated, “As we gather here today, I hope we can all recognize the common thread that binds us — the desire for love, peace, and understanding.
Ramadan, for me, is a journey towards that understanding, and is a path that we can all walk toward together, regardless of our faith or background.”
State Sen. Barry Finegold also shared his remarks on the significance of community and his appreciation, “One thing I always ask myself is that do I make the community I represent better?
What I see, in all of the work that you do, is that you have made this community and all of us better.
And I thank you for that.
I’m honored to be here, and I’m honored to have you as friends and see all the greatness that you do.”
Taher Esmail, an organizer of the event, echoed the senator’s sentiments, stating, “We truly pray that gatherings like this foster a sense of community and belonging among us.
All of us are different, we have different experiences in life, but we are far more similar than different.
We want our children to live in a safe environment, we want a world of peace, and we want to help our neighbors in need whether they live next door to us in the next state or in a different country.
We want the same things in life.”
Guests were also given a guided tour of the Anjuman-E-Ezzi Masjid complex, providing them with an opportunity to learn about the Dawoodi Bohra community, its values, and its commitment to faith-driven service.
The tour, along with an introductory video to the nationwide community, offered insights into the masjid’s architecture, practices, and the community’s ongoing initiatives to support local neighborhoods.
image source from：https://www.lowellsun.com/2025/04/15/a-call-for-peace-and-unity-dawoodi-bohras-of-boston-celebrate-ramadan-iftar/
