Iftar Hours & Iftar Dark

Yayra-Si Youth Foundation > Iftar Hours & Iftar Dark

One of the most beautiful parts of Ramadan is the way it allows people, irrespective of their backgrounds or faith, to break bread together. Iftar, or the breaking of the sunrise-to-sunset fast, is an important time of communion, gratitude and reflection. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has made it challenging for many folks to share this important moment with family and friends. Through this virtual iftar and speaker series, YSYF seeks to foster a sense of community among Canadians and others around the world.

About Iftar Hours (6:00 PM - 8:20 PM)

Iftar Hours (“After Hours”) is a virtual speaker series and iftar event open to all, regardless of background or faith. We encourage youth and their families to join us for collective learning and unlearning on the topic of racism and discrimination as it relates to Islam and Muslim communities. Speeches will be delivered by Imam Yasin Dwyer, Chaplain at the University of Toronto, and Ms. Habon Ali, Global Health Student and UTM 2020 Valedictorian. Following the Adhan (call to prayer), we will spotlight various families that have agreed to “share their iftar” as they show what they are eating and explain their family traditions during this time.

About Imam Yasin Dwyer

Yasin Dwyer was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba to Jamaican parents. He is the executive director of Muslim Chaplaincy of Toronto. Before joining Muslim Chaplaincy of Toronto, Yasin was a part of the multi-faith chaplaincy team at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. He has lectured extensively on topics such as religion and the arts, Black Canadian culture and the history of Muslims in the West. As well as with working alongside many non-profit organizations in Canada, Yasin was the first full-time Muslim chaplain to work with the Correctional Service of Canada, a position he held for 12 years. He is also a board member of the Montreal based Institut Route de la Soie/Silk Road Institute, which is dedicated to expressing Canadian Muslim narratives through the visual, auditory and performing arts.

Itinerary

Itinerary
6:00 – 6:10 PM: Reception
6:10 – 6:25 PM: YSYF Presentation
6:25 – 6:50 PM: Imam Yasin Dwyer’s Talk
6:50 – 7:00 PM: Spoken Word Poem
7:00 – 7:10 PM: Break
7:10 – 7:30 PM: Ms. Habon Ali’s Talk
7:30 – 7:45 PM: Breakout Rooms Discussion
7:45 – 7:55 PM: Debrief
7:55 – 8:10 PM: Crowdfunding
8:10 – 8:20 PM: Breaking of Fast
8:20 – 8:30 PM: Share your Iftar

About Iftar Dark (11:30 PM - 1:30 AM)

The Iftar Dark (“After Dark”) portion of this event will be an opportunity to spend time with family and friends, and make new friends! We are organizing a modified version of Family Feud, which anyone can play. You can sign up in teams or select the option to be randomly assigned to a team. Enter a draw for a chance to win prizes that we will deliver to your door! Following this, there will be activities happening in various rooms, including a Shrek 2 Netflix Party, book club discussion, and video games session. A full list of rooms will be released over the course of the next week!

Itinerary

11:30 – 11:45 PM: Reception

11:45 PM – 12:15 AM: Ramadan Family Feud

12:15 – 12:30 AM: Draw + Prizes

12:30 – 1:30 AM: Activity Rooms Open

Registration and Proceeds

This is a FREE event. If you wish, you may donate to our Women’s Vocational Training Fundraiser here. All proceeds will be directed towards the establishment of the first vocational training centre in Doryumu, which will support the capacity building of young women in this community. Our goal is to raise $3,000 for this centre by the end of the summer. 

 

Thank you for your continued support of YSYF and its initiatives.