Chelsea Foundation will hold an Open Iftar at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, March 26, marking it the first time for the team and a Premier League stadium.
This will take place during Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting from dawn until dusk, which runs from Wednesday, March 22, to Friday, April 21, 2023.
The biggest Ramadan gathering in the UK, Open Iftar gives Muslims who observe Ramadan the chance to get together to break their fast while also offering a secure setting for communication and participation.
Along with Chelsea FC employees, a number of neighborhood mosques and members of the Chelsea Muslim community, including supporters and students, are invited.
The Ramadan Tent Project, an honorable nonprofit organization started in 2013 with a goal of uniting communities and advancing Ramadan awareness, will work with Chelsea to organize the Open Iftar.
The Ramadan Festival is an annual celebration of art, culture, and creativity inspired by the holy month of Ramadan and is organized by the Ramadan Tent Project, who are commemorating their 10-year anniversary this year.
The Ramadan Tent Project’s founder and CEO, Omar Salha, said: ‘For the past decade Ramadan Tent Project has connected and convened over half-a-million people from all backgrounds through its annual Ramadan Festival and flagship initiative Open Iftar.’
‘We are honoured to bring Open Iftar to Stamford Bridge, on the occasion of our 10-year anniversary and our 2023 theme of “Belonging”, and work in partnership with Chelsea FC who have been driving inclusivity in football. To such an extent, the “Pride of London” will be the first Premier League club in history to host an Open Iftar event.’
‘Football and Ramadan brings people together over shared experiences and we are thrilled to share this important celebration with football supporters from all backgrounds, representing a community of communities.’
As part of the No To Hate campaign, a club-wide equality, diversity, and inclusion initiative that tackles hatred and discrimination and seeks to educate all stakeholders both inside and outside of Chelsea FC and football, Ramadan will be recognized at Chelsea FC and Chelsea Foundation.
One of No To Hate’s primary goals is to advance religious tolerance, and throughout the year, various religious holidays are celebrated.
The Chelsea Foundation’s CEO, Simon Taylor, stated: ‘I’m delighted to announce our Open Iftar alongside the Ramadan Tent Project and we are extremely proud to be the first Premier League club to be doing so. Recognising Ramadan and our Muslim community is a crucial aspect of our work in promoting religious tolerance and I look forward to welcoming everyone on Sunday 26 March.’
Chelsea
Chelsea Football Club is an English professional football team situated in Fulham, West London.
They were established in 1905 and hold home games at Stamford Bridge.
The Premier League, the top level of English football, is where the team plays. In 1955, they captured the League championship, their first significant victory.
The club became the third English club to win the Club World Cup in 2022. The club first won the FA Cup in 1970, its first European honor, the Cup Winners’ Cup, in 1971.
The only club to have won all three major European club competitions twice is Chelsea, one of just five clubs to have done so before 1999.
They are the only club in London to have won both the Club World Cup and the Champions League.
What is Iftar and When Is Ramadan?
Iftar is the fast-breaking evening meal eaten by Muslims throughout Ramadan at the time of the adhan (call to prayer) of the Maghrib prayer.
This is their second meal of the day. During Ramadan, the daily fast begins after the suhur meal at dawn and lasts throughout the day, finishing with the iftar meal at dusk.
Muslims all over the world commemorate Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, as a time for fasting (sawm), prayer, introspection, and community. Ramadan is sometimes spelled Ramazan, Ramadhan, or Ramathan.
The annual Ramadan observance, which marks the anniversary of Muhammad’s first revelation, is one of the Five Pillars of Islam and lasts from one sighting of the crescent moon to the next for a period of twenty-nine to thirty days.
