Big Iftar 2025

Hundreds of people attended this year’s interfaith celebration that focused on sustainability and food waste

Middlesex University was proud to welcome more than 200 people to its Hendon campus for the Big Iftar on 4 February.

Guests included local MP David Pinto-Duschinsky and Councillors Zahra Beg, Nagus Narenthira and Leader of Barnet Council, Barry Rawlings.

The Iftar is the fast-breaking evening meal of Muslims in Ramadan at the time of adhan (call to prayer) of the Maghrib prayer.

Several of the speakers spoke of Ramadan as a time of kindness and an opportunity to leave the Big Iftar with more compassion and understanding. During the event there was a focus on food waste and sustainability with speakers asking guests to be mindful of the people who are hungry not through fasting but poverty. 

Imam Hamid Qureshi, from the Islamic Association of North London and Finchley Mosque, appealed to students, staff and the community to work together eliminate food waste. Other faith speakers including Reverend Julie Gittoes, Area Dean of Barnet and Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg, New North London Synagogue urged guests to ‘rebuild and restore our world’ and ‘to see the world differently, to appreciate it, and to share it more widely and more fairly’.

This annual event during Ramadan was held at MDX for the 3^rd year running and is organised in collaboration with the London Borough of Barnet, the Barnet Multi Faith Forum and the University’s Interfaith Network.

Professor Janet Jones, MDX Pro-Vice Chancellor, highlighted that the Big Iftar was rapidly becoming one of the University’s largest and most eagerly anticipated events and demonstrated how MDX was anchored within the community. She added:

“The Big Iftar is a community-led initiative which brings together people from different backgrounds, faiths and perspectives to share food and conversation. Helping us connect through shared hospitality and in the process understand one another a little better than before.” Professor Janet Jones, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Middlesex University

Guests enjoyed a performance from Barnet Hill Community Choir, a Qur’an recitation, speeches from Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg from the New North London Synagogue, Reverend Dr Julie Gittoes, Area of Dean of Barnet, Samah Ghanem (Head Sister) and Hanzala Qadir (President) MDX Student Union Islamic Society and Farida Stanikzai, Operations Manager, New Citizens’ Gateway.