On Friday, 21 March 2025, Monmouthshire County Council hosted its annual Iftar event. 

Held in County Hall, Usk and organised by Monmouthshire Muslim Community Association, the celebration brought together people of all faiths and backgrounds for prayers and a feast. 

The Iftar, part of the Muslim tradition, is a feast at sundown after fasting.

Iftar is an important event for the Muslim community. After the evening prayer and the sunset, Muslims break their fast during Iftar. Traditionally, those observing Ramadan begin by eating three dates to emulate how the Prophet Mohammed broke his fast. This is followed by Iftar, a celebration filled with abundant food, family, and friends.

Before sharing a fantastic array of foods, guests and members came together to listen to speeches and discussions led by young people from the Muslim community.

Monmouthshire County Council’s Leader, Cllr Mary Ann Brocklesby, said: “It was a privilege to open the doors of County Hall to host our annual Iftar event. Bringing our communities together to share in this tradition is a highlight of the year for us at the council. 

“It was a real treat to hear from the young people who attended this year. As a council, we are committed to ensuring Monmouthshire is an open and welcoming place for all faiths. It was encouraging to hear young people praise their schools. We all know about the fantastic teachers and staff working in our schools, but there is no better praise for the schools than from the young people themselves.”

“Thank you to the Monmouthshire Muslim Community Association for organising a fantastic celebration.”

Monmouthshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Equalities and Engagement, Cllr Angela Sandles, added: “County Hall is a place not only for county councillors and officers, it’s a building for all of the community to come together. Seeing people from different faiths and backgrounds come together to learn and break fast was fantastic.”