Muslim women spending the month of Ramadan alone have been brought together by a community initiative which hosts Iftar events in East London.
Ramadan at Regency, which is based in Newham, was founded by Mish Taznin, 33, and aims to provide a safe space for both women who have converted to Islam and Muslim professionals spending Ramadan away from their families.
Iftar is the meal Muslims eat to break their fast at sunset and Taznin’s idea to host events stemmed from her volunteer work with the Eden Care charity which befriends people who are terminally ill, when she was paired with an elderly revert – the term for a new Muslim – man in the final stages of his life during Ramadan.
Taznin said: “I’m sure there are so many other reverts out there, that enter into Islam, but they have no idea what to do or where to go.”
“The idea of fasting to a new Muslim must be so daunting. Surely, they need some support.”
It was during this time that Taznin realised that many reverts might be facing similar challenges, especially if they lack family and community support.
Launching Ramadan at Regency in 2021 as Covid-19 pandemic rules became more relaxed, she set up an Instagram account and created the hashtag #AloneInLondon to reach out to Muslim women who were using it to connect.
Taznin recalled the first gathering had just eight attendees, but since then it has grown significantly, attracting more and more women each year.
Though the gatherings try to prioritise revert Muslim women, they also cater for professionals and students residing in London who are from different parts of the UK and the world.
The most important aspect of the Iftar gatherings for Taznin is providing a sense of belonging, and helping women form meaningful and lasting relationships.
To her delight, several women who have attended the Iftars have made life-long friendships and have even been on holidays together.
Taznin said: “It’s easy to feed someone once a week in the month of Ramadan, but the hard part is for them to find a community that they can rely on after Ramadan.”
Support from businesses and the wider community in Newham has been essential to Ramadan at Regency’s growth, with restaurants and even aunties of people contributing food to the cause.
Taznin’s motivation to continue hosting these events comes from her desire to create a supportive and welcoming space for these women.
She said: “These girls come all over from London and make that 45-minute commute because they’ve found comfort in something that I’ve created.
“The fact that they leave my little community and go back feeling like they’re part of something, that itself is my motivation and I will keep going for as long as I am alive.”
Picture Credit: Ramadan at Regency
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