CCDC photo from Emma Marie Chiang

ALLAN E. LOW SUPER PARTNER AWARD
2024 Iftar Planning Committee

SAN FRANCISCO IS HOME TO SOME 20,000 MUSLIM AND ARAB COMMUNITY MEMBERS with a concentration living at Chinatown CDC’s Tenderloin Family Housing. Joining other major U.S. cities with Muslim communities, San Francisco’s families annually break their Ramadan fast at iftar with an evening meal and program that promotes community awareness and fosters unity with elected and public officials.

In late 2018, the San Francisco Iftar Planning Committee organized the first Ramadan iftar for the following year in the historic rotunda of the San Francisco City Hall. With the intention of being women-led and focused on working-class people, the committee set forth to ensure that participants were inclusive of the various aspects of the Muslim community and representative of the economic and ethnic diversity of the community.

Although the committee paused for three years due to COVID, the group organized the 2023 Iftar at City Hall with Mayor London Breed, members of the Board of Supervisors and other influential civic leaders.

On March 29, 2024, the group led by Tenderloin Family Housing residents working with Chinatown CDC community organizers held the iftar at City Hall. With support from Stop AAPI Hate in a stand against Islamophobia, the event was a special year showcasing Ramadan’s focus on togetherness, connectivity and a sense of ummah. More than 350 participated for spiritual rejuvenation and to promote unity and peace, even as many suffered the devastating loss of family members in their homeland. Chinatown CDC is proud of the initiative and accomplishments of this grassroots residential village. We salute the founding members, coordinators and organizers who have dedicated their efforts over the past seven years to sharing their culture and empowering their community. Special thanks to the 2024 San Francisco Iftar Planning Committee for their perseverance in working with community members with different global views:

Hala K. Hijazi, AMEMSA Advisory Board; Soha Abdou, San Francisco Immigrant Rights Commission and Chinatown CDC; Imam Na’il Shakoor, San Francisco Muslim Community Center; Shahin Shaikh, Islamic Center of San Francisco; Muhammad Yasir, IFPTE Local 21; Bushra Alabsi and Fonda Davidson, Cross Cultural Family Center; Soumia Laktebi, Bill Sorro Housing Program; Adnan Alameri, Yemeni Association at Tenderloin Family Housing; and Diana Pang and Tammy Hung, Chinatown CDC.