Churchs Hold Dinner For Islamic Families

When a suspicious fire burned down a local mosque in Joplin, MO, most of the Islamic families in the town were left with no place to hold the celebratory dinner known as Iftar, a breaking of the fast which marks the month of Ramadan.Their worries were allieviated in the most unexpected of ways, however, when local Christian churches extended their hands and opened their doors to their fellow townspeople.

The churches of St. Philip's Episcopal Church, South Joplin Christian Church, United Hebrew Congregation, First Community Church, and Peace Lutheran Church have all invited local members of the Islamic Society of Joplin to celebrate their holiday within the normally Christian halls. In a time when being a Muslim often casts suspicion upon worshippers, it is heartwarming to see men and women putting aside their religious differences and offering support in the name of human kindness.