Iftar at CADS: ‘There really is no meal quite like a shared one’
We're halfway through the month of Ramadan. During this month, many Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, breaking the fast each evening with iftar — a meal centered on coming together and sharing. Last Monday, for the third year in a row, colleagues gathered at the Institute of Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology to share in this special tradition.
The idea for a joint iftar was first proposed three years ago by PhD candidate Fitri Murfianti and former CADS researcher Yasmin Ismail. Each year, the institute celebrates Christmas with a potluck lunch, where staff members bring dishes to share. This inspired the idea of organizing a similar gathering during Ramadan.
Everyone is welcome
Like the annual Christmas lunch, the iftar is open to all CADS staff, regardless of their religious or cultural background. That diversity was clearly reflected on the table, which was filled with dishes from many different cuisines — from pizzas to pilau, and from bubur kacang hijau to brownies.
More than fasting
Ramadan is more than a month of fasting, and iftar is more than simply breaking the fast. It is also a time for reflection, when people pause to consider their faith and their lives, with gratitude and generosity towards others at its heart.
Two kinds of happiness
This is also something that PhD candidate Mukh Imron Ali Mahmudi emphasises when he introduces the iftar: ‘There are two kinds of happiness during Ramadan. First, in Islamic belief, fasting is a spiritual fulfillment; people will experience happiness in the afterlife as a reward for their fasting. Second, the happiness that comes when people break their fast (iftar) after a day of fasting. Celebrating iftar together at CADS means sharing that happiness with everyone who joins.’
Solidarity and care
His supervisor, Professor Bart Barendregt concludes: ‘There really is no meal quite like a shared one. Especially in a fasting month that, beyond our walls, feels overshadowed by geopolitical violence and heavy headlines. Breaking the fast together may not solve global tensions. But it is a quiet, stubborn gesture of solidarity, care, and a way of holding on to one another when the world outside seems intent on pulling apart. And that is something for a start.’