“In these tents nearly 5,000 people break their fasts every evening. We call it the Ramadan Multicultural Gathering,” said Tariq Al-Sugair, one of the volunteer organizers at the Alkhobar Cooperative Office for Call and Guidance.
“This philosophy is truly reflected when, at the call for Maghreb prayer, all 5,000 people break their fasts in these tents, enjoying dates, laban, rice and chicken.”
The program is supervised by the local offices of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, but the whole program is run with the help of sponsors and donations from the local business community.
“The open land where the tents are pitched belongs to Sharbatlys. Other businessmen have taken care of the rented tents. Others simply have donated money to meet the expenses of running this charitable operation for the entire month,” he said.
“The iftar tents are open to everyone — Muslims and non-Muslims. “The idea is to let non-Muslims know about Islam. Here, they get a firsthand view of what Ramadan is all about.
He added that there are preachers are able to field questions in all the languages spoken by expatriates.
“Many non-Muslims have misconceptions about Islam. Sometimes when they come, we see they are uncomfortable,” he said.
“We welcome them with open arms, engage them and try to correct their misconceptions about Islam. The idea is not to convert them but to make them aware of what Islam is all about — the authentic version of Islam.” The iftar dinners draw a mixed crowd. “A lot of people who visit us regularly, they themselves bring their non-Muslim friends.”
Nearly 50 young Saudis help in arranging all kinds of facilities for the 5,000 or so arrivals every day.
“The whole area is pretty clean. There are nine tents in all, with each tent having a capacity of 2,000 people,” Al-Sugair said. “The tents are divided according to language. All Urdu-speaking expatriates are in one tent; Filipinos are in a different tent; Bangladeshis are in another; Tamils have a separate tent, and another one is for Arabic speakers.”
The Bangladeshi tent hosts the largest number each day — nearly 2,000 every evening.
Each tent has a speaker who delivers a lecture just before the breaking of fast, where the virtues of a good Muslim are outlined. After iftar, those who have questions about any aspect of worship can ask the preacher.
The program provides an ideal platform for the businessmen to take part in acts of charity.
“Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has talked about the great benefits of feeding the poor at all times and especially during Ramadan,” said Al-Sugair.
“So here they have the opportunity to do exactly that, and they take full advantage of this. These camps, or iftar tents, have been organized for the last five years now. Every year we spend something in the range of SR2.5 to three million riyals. All this money comes from businesspeople.”
He added that those who come for iftar each evening are mostly from Alkhobar. Some of them come from the industrial cities and the nearby Thuqbah area.
“We have five coaches of our own to bring people in from distant areas. We realize it is not possible for them to walk to our tents, so we arrange the buses. They stop at designated places.”
Providing meals for 5,000 people is no small task. “We have contracted six restaurants to provide quality food prepared in hygienic environments. These are some of the best restaurants,” said Al-Sugair.
“We could have given the contract to one restaurant, but we wanted to ensure that there is no interruption of supplies. If one is unable to supply, then we have another five to fall back on.”
It is not just religious activities that are held at the tents. The highlight of the program is the “Ramadan Friendship Games 2010 Open Invitational Basketball Tournament” organized by the Filipino community in one of the specially erected tents long after iftar.
“This brings the entire Filipino community in the Eastern province to our place,” Al-Sugair said. “It is great fun. This activity has been on right from the first week of Ramadan and will have its finals soon.”
The event serves as a reminder to all those who claim that Saudi society shies away from interaction with other communities. Visitors experience a homogeneous gathering where Saudis and expatriates participate in a variety of social and sports activities that make Alkhobar city a home for all.
