Spanish Catholic Church Opens Its Doors For Muslims To Celebrate Ramadan

A CHURCH in the city of Barcelona has opened its doors to Muslims who are celebrating Ramadan so that they can eat and pray together.

As reported in Premier Christian News, a church in the city of Barcelona has opened its doors to Muslims who are celebrating Ramadan so that they can eat and pray together.

The current coronavirus restrictions in Barcelona means that the venues where the Muslim community would usually celebrate the religious festival are closed.

The Church of Santa Anna, which is in the centre of the city, is letting its cloisters host between 50 to 60 people each night, most of which are homeless.

Muslims do not eat or drink between sunrise and sunset during Ramadan, only breaking their fasting when the sun has set with a meal called Iftar. It is one of the five pillars of Islam.

The rector of the church, Fr Peio Sanchez, said: “Even with different cultures, different languages, different religions, we are more capable of sitting down and talking than some politicians.”

The gatherings have been organised by the Catalan Association of Moroccan Women and its president, Faouzia Chati, said the Covid restrictions have forced her to find spaces that have enough ventilation and space for social distancing where Muslims can celebrate Ramadan.

She also said that “People are very happy that Muslims can do Iftar in a Catholic church, because religions serve to unite us, not to separate us.”

However, the campaign has not been welcomed by everyone, with some people on social media complaining about the initiative.

The church responded to criticism in a Tweet that read: “As always when there is novelty there is criticism. As we are still in a pandemic the Association of Moroccan Women asked us for the possibility of celebrating Iftar for the homeless. Because we can choose to do so, we welcome this celebration. Fraternity is about being welcoming.”