The Memon community makes sure that all the women visiting the Crawford market during the month of Ramadan, get proper food and arrangements to break their fast in the evening. The All India Memon Jamat Federation has been arranging iftar for women shoppers, irrespective of their communities, who come from far away places and have no proper place to break their fast.
Ramadan, roza and iftar
As the holy month of Ramadan started last week, Muslims have indulged themselves in religious rituals and the peculiar dawn-to-dusk fasting. Since women do not get a place in the mosque to end their roza, it becomes more difficult for them to offer prayers and break their fast while they are out of their homes.
Vijay Gohil
Vijay Gohil
Vijay Gohil
During this month, a lot of women visit the Crawford Market near Fort from far-off places like Kalyan, Dombivali as well as Navi Mumbai for Ramadan shopping. Since the mosques near the market do not have a separate space and arrangements, the women have to break their fast in the middle of the market but the Memon community has made sure that all the women who are out of their homes get a proper iftar arrangement.
Memons' special iftar at Crawford
The All India Memon Jamat Federation (AIMJF) has made special arrangements near its office opposite the Crawford market where women get enough space to offer their prayers and food packets to break their day-long fast. Even the women who are not fasting, are allowed to participate and are provided with food packets.
Vijay Gohil
Vijay Gohil
Iqbal Memon Officer, the president of AIMJF said, “We used to notice that a lot of women would stand in the middle of the market and break their fast. We realised that we should make some special arrangements since we have our office just opposite to the market and therefore we have been organising this special iftar for women in the ground adjacent to our office.”
For five years, the memon community has been making these special arrangements by setting up a dastar and providing special food packets with fruits, bhajiyas, samosas and sweets to the women. The community has been strictly providing vegetarian food packets to allow women from all the communities and religions to benefit from the iftar.
Iftar open to non-Muslim women too
“A lot of non-muslim women who visit the market ask if they can join the iftar. We always welcome them saying that the dastar is for everyone, be it a muslim woman, a rozedar or from any other community, we provide chilled water and food packets to everyone. Therefore we provide only vegetarian food in the packets so that everyone can consume it,” said Officer.
