A BRADFORD mosque will be opening its doors to the public this weekend as part of a national ‘open iftar’ event to share food this Ramadan.

The Islam Bradford Centre on City Road, Bradford is inviting people of all faiths and backgrounds to come together and break a fast with Muslims on Saturday evening as part of Taste Ramadan, a Myriad Foundation initiative.

The event hopes to bring people together and foster positive community relations while sharing the sentiment of this sacred month.

A spokesperson for Islam Bradford said: “We wanted to reach out to the wider community and share with them the blessings of the holy month of Ramadan. We hope to see more mosques opening their doors to the public to foster better community relations.”

The event begins at 7.15pm in preparation for the fast to open; a short speech will be delivered about Ramadan, and why Muslims observe this month and then the fast will be broken, with dates, water, and fruit.

Attendees can expect chicken or vegetable biryani as well as pakoras.

The mosque is expecting a bigger turnout this year, with their iftar last week attracting more than 300 people.

“We’ve got people of all backgrounds coming and it’s a real multicultural feel and atmosphere," said the spokesperson. 

“It really is amazing and when we go to pray, in previous years, the non-Muslims watch and listen to us and they really enjoy it. “

This year marks the fourth year of the initiative and is supported by Al Khair Foundation.

Taste Ramadan Lead Imran Naseem, said: “What started as a local grassroots initiative in Manchester to unite communities, build bridges and share friendship has gone viral.

“We have been overwhelmed with the response we have received from guests and Mosques alike and hope this will only grow from strength to strength.”