Pembroke Iftar
On Saturday 2nd June a group of people from Pembroke and the University gathered for an Iftar feast.
The Pembroke Iftar was hosted by Harum Mukhayer (2016), PhD candidate and Gates Scholar. Harum spent eight years working with the UN in Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia prior to coming to Pembroke. She advises governments on the design and implementation of natural resources laws and policies, and is currently researching the role of international law in helping communities at the margins access natural resources, food, and property, despite political instability. She is also an active member of the Graduate Parlour; previously she served as the GP Committee Vice-President, and is currently helping establish the first BME officer role.
Despite all this, which is arguably enough to keep anyone busy, she found time to organise the Iftar. The Iftar meal is part of the religious observances of Ramadan, and is the evening meal with which Muslims end their daily fast. Sponsored by the Chaplain James Gardom, the event was a friendly community meal with lovely company and delicious food – Sudanese recipes were provided by Harum, but with the very Pembroke addition of sticky toffee pudding. Harum first hosted the event last year in response to a challenging start to her first Ramadan as a Pembroke student. Instead of feeling positive in her practice of Islam, Harum felt scared and almost ashamed of such an open affirmation of her faith. After speaking to the Dean, who reassured her that the Chapel is an interfaith space and all are welcome, she suggested the Iftar as an opportunity for cultural exchange and appreciation. And it helped:
“Pembroke is generally a really welcoming space but this made me feel not only welcomed, but also that I had something to contribute because of my practice of Islam. That was really special. It was also really nice that there was lots of support from the Graduate Parlour.”
The community aspect is clearly important. Harum described Iftar at home in Sudan, where the month of Ramadan is a special one:
“So Iftar back home is a really big deal, you prepare the Iftar together and there are always lots of dishes. It’s a really nice thing to do. I remember making Iftar with my mum, brothers and sister - we’ll set it up and eat together. There’s a joke that Sudanese TV is not worth watching except in Ramadan because they bring out the best stuff so that’s a nice part that’s not directly related! There are also always great evening events like music or dancing, outings, or more quiet worship and reading the Quran.”
Ramadan, for Harum, is grounding, providing an anchor through daily life and study. Discipline is a big part of it, not only because of fasting, but because of how you eat afterwards:
“It’s the discipline of knowing what to eat at night, and how often. There’s this Hadith in which the Prophet say: when you’re eating leave one third of your stomach space for food, one third for water, and the remaining third so you can breath! It’s really easy to just binge and then you can’t breathe. There’s discipline in that. It’s not just about withholding from food, it’s about how you eat.”
Thank you to the Chaplain for sponsoring the event, and to Harum for hosting such a welcoming – and delicious! – Iftar meal.
A comment from the Chaplain:
"I was really delighted to sponsor the Pembroke Iftar. Inclusion is always our aim, but this needs to be actions rather than expressions of good will. Eating together and learning from each other is best of all. Harum has provided us all with a wonderful opportunity, and it was a really cheerful and joyful evening"