12:00 AM CDT on Saturday, August 29, 2009
By JEFFREY WEISS / The Dallas Morning News

Members of the Dallas Islamic Center plan to break their daylong Ramadan fast today with traditional foods in an untraditional setting: a social hall at the First Presbyterian Church of Dallas. The mostly Turkish mosque, Richardson-based despite the Dallas name, is part of an informal international network of mosques, schools and social service agencies that place a high premium on interfaith work. The mosque has scheduled at least three fast-breaking dinners, called iftars, at local churches during the monthlong observance of Ramadan, which started last week. "When we knocked on the doors of the community here, they opened their doors to us," said Imam Nihat Yesil, who moved to North Texas to lead the new mosque eight months ago. About 100 members of the Presbyterian church are scheduled to eat with about 50 members of the mosque, which is catering with traditional Turkish fare. Islam teaches that Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, commemorates the time when the angel Gabriel started dictating the Quran to the prophet Muhammad more than 1,200 years ago. Muslims are instructed to abstain during Ramadan's daylight hours from food, drink, tobacco, sex and other pleasures as a way of practicing self-restraint and renewing their commitment to their faith. It's not uncommon for Muslims to invite non-Muslims to mosques or homes to share an iftar dinner. Taking the meals into churches is more unusual. The Rev. Joe Clifford is senior pastor at First Presbyterian Dallas. He met the imam when Yesil and another member of the mosque attended a service at his church and hand-delivered an invitation to attend an interfaith event. Clifford attended several events at the Institute for Interfaith Dialogue, an organization associated with the mosque. So when Yesil raised the possibility of bringing an iftar dinner to the church, Clifford needed no persuading. His congregation, on the other hand, had some questions. "We had folks who asked how this fit with the mission of the church," he said. "Those were fair questions." He responded with an essay in the church newsletter, citing several of the Great Ends of the Church from Presbyterian tradition. "Why should the church host an interfaith feast? It is in keeping with the Great Ends of the Church to provide spiritual fellowship, to promote social righteousness, and to embody God's reign in the world," he wrote. "And perhaps, by the grace of God, we might even grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ!" The Richardson mosque follows a Turkish tradition inspired by Imam Fethullah Gülen. He teaches that theologically conservative Islam is compatible with modern science, economics and integration into secular societies. His followers lead mosques and run schools, television stations and newspapers. In the United States, an organization called the Raindrop Turkish House promotes Gülen's message. Last year, the Dallas branch of Raindrop bought a former YWCA in Richardson. Raindrop offers services to recent immigrants from Turkey and other nations, helping orient the newcomers to the ways of America and North Texas. The Institute for Interfaith Dialogue and the Dallas Islamic Center mosque have their offices and meeting halls in the same building. The mosque has also scheduled iftar dinners at the First Methodist Church of Richardson and the First Unitarian Church of Dallas. Ernie Deadwyler, a member of the Methodist church, has been attending the events hosted by the interfaith group and invited the imam to join him for Sunday school classes he's given about Islam. When Yesil suggested the iftar, it sounded like an excellent idea, Deadwyler said. "It's a way to help the congregation get acquainted with Muslims as individuals rather than stereotypes," he said.

source: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-richramadan_29met.ART0.State.Edition1.4c0000f.html