Vancouver Islamic centre marks end of Ramadan by helping vulnerable communities

VANCOUVER — The Vancouver chapter of Maktab Tarighat Oveyssi Shahmaghsoudi School of Islamic Sufism spent much of Monday handing out food to vulnerable local communities in B.C.'s Lower Mainland.

More than 750 prepared meals were delivered to mark the end of Ramadan, a month-long Islamic event that started on April 23 this year.

"The significance of Eid at the end of Ramadan is a big celebration - kind of like Christmas," said MTO volunteer Jamak Golshani.

"Ramadan itself is a whole month of physically fasting but spiritually also letting go of all your attachments."

The meals were handled out to places like retirement homes, women's centres and homeless shelters in the Vancouver area.

"This is a collaboration between the officials in each city and where they thought would make sense for us to go," said Golshani.

Thirty-eight other MTO centres from across nine countries took part Monday with one goal in mind: to help communities in these difficult times.

“Regardless of religion, regardless of spiritual state, you should always reach out to the community. As a human being you should reach out and help others," Golshani said.