Volunteers provide free food for fasting Muslims on Kirkuk-Sulaimani road
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Eight volunteers have temporarily opened a restaurant on the Sulaimani-Kirkuk highway near the town of Chamchamal, providing free food at dusk for those who break their fasts.
"We are a group of seven to eight volunteers. Three to four of us cook rice. We usually come in at 2pm. The food is usually ready at around 5pm," Sardar Abdulkarim, a volunteer cook told Rudaw’s Peshawa Bakhtyar on Sunday.
Abdulkarim went on to detail that they "cook 25 kilograms of beans, 75 kilograms of rice, some days 50 kilograms, in addition to 100-150 kilograms of chicken on a daily basis.”
In addition to food, water and dates are also available for those who do not want to eat a full meal but just to break their fast.
The volunteers say they usually start cooking food for up to 700 fasting Muslims two hours prior to the maghrib (sunset) prayer call.
The project's name is 'The House of God Restaurant' and is funded by two wealthy brothers from the town of Chamchamal. Together with their father, they wave at passing drivers to stop, break their fast and take a break.
"We are at the service of anyone passing by our restaurant to break their fast," Yasin Hussein, volunteer and owner of the project said.
"Together with my brother, Haji Aras, we have decided that this project must continue until [the last day of Ramadan]. All we want in return is prayer for the greater good," he added.
In addition to passing drivers on the Sulaimani-Kirkuk highway, several other destitute people from the town of Chamchamal visit the restaurant to have dinner and break their fast.
Part of the food will go to impoverished families and dormitory students.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar (Hijri), during which followers of the religion abstain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk.
Muslims around the world marked the start of Ramadan on Thursday.
Muslims traditionally break their fast as the Prophet Muhammad did with a sip of water and some dates at sunset. Then family and friends during the nighttime gather for a large feast. Part of the evening is often spent at the mosque in prayers called "Taraweeh" while others perform traditional games.
"We are a group of seven to eight volunteers. Three to four of us cook rice. We usually come in at 2pm. The food is usually ready at around 5pm," Sardar Abdulkarim, a volunteer cook told Rudaw’s Peshawa Bakhtyar on Sunday.
Abdulkarim went on to detail that they "cook 25 kilograms of beans, 75 kilograms of rice, some days 50 kilograms, in addition to 100-150 kilograms of chicken on a daily basis.”
In addition to food, water and dates are also available for those who do not want to eat a full meal but just to break their fast.
The volunteers say they usually start cooking food for up to 700 fasting Muslims two hours prior to the maghrib (sunset) prayer call.
The project's name is 'The House of God Restaurant' and is funded by two wealthy brothers from the town of Chamchamal. Together with their father, they wave at passing drivers to stop, break their fast and take a break.
"We are at the service of anyone passing by our restaurant to break their fast," Yasin Hussein, volunteer and owner of the project said.
"Together with my brother, Haji Aras, we have decided that this project must continue until [the last day of Ramadan]. All we want in return is prayer for the greater good," he added.
In addition to passing drivers on the Sulaimani-Kirkuk highway, several other destitute people from the town of Chamchamal visit the restaurant to have dinner and break their fast.
Part of the food will go to impoverished families and dormitory students.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar (Hijri), during which followers of the religion abstain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk.
Muslims around the world marked the start of Ramadan on Thursday.
Muslims traditionally break their fast as the Prophet Muhammad did with a sip of water and some dates at sunset. Then family and friends during the nighttime gather for a large feast. Part of the evening is often spent at the mosque in prayers called "Taraweeh" while others perform traditional games.