By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
About 100 neighbours of Doveton’s Afghan mosque were treated to surprise hot meals on 4 July.
Marking the end of the Ramadan, the mosque’s chef Yar Mohammad cooked up lamb curry, breads and kabuli rice which was delivered to the doors of surrounding houses in Photinia Street in the early evening.
Mosque spokesman Rokhan Akbar said it was a time on the Islam calendar that observers pay particular attention to their neighbours.
“We should be generous, kind and compassionate all the time but at Ramadan, we do more good deeds.”
The mosque had worn some hostility in the past, notably with its ongoing plans to build next door to the anti-Islamic Catch the Fire Ministries’ proposed church in Green Street, Doveton.
It also hosted the funeral of Numan Haider, who was shot dead after stabbing two police officers at Endeavour Hills police station in 2014.
But something changed when mosque members delivered food to neighbours for the first time last year.
It broke the ice with neighbours, drew some smiles and cultural respect.
It even seemed to relieve some tensions particularly over illegal parking issues during heavily attended Friday prayers, Mr Akbar said.
It certainly underlined the power of ‘breaking bread’ between strangers – much to Mr Akbar’s surprise at the time.
“We haven’t had that much interaction since but what we noticed was that there have been no complaints.
“We have better communication.”
Again, for the second annual handout, neighbours chatted, talked about the meaning of Ramadan and kids ran from houses to help young mosque members deliver the food.
The mosque also prepared a letter to inform its neighbours on the significance of Ramadan – and to thank them for tolerating cars being parked on nature strips.
