Members from the 38 nations of the Combined Maritime Forces came together recently for an iftar, with Muslim officers of the UK armed forces breaking their fast with the Royal Bahrain Naval Force for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic began.
The iftar took place on board the RFA Cardigan Bay at the UK Naval Support Facility in Mina Salman.
“Before Covid-19, we had done this twice and this is our first time since then, and one of the key objectives of hosting this iftar is to show our gratitude to our Bahraini hosts here, in particular the armed forces and Bahraini society,” Islamic religious adviser to the UK Chief of the Defence Staff Imam Asim Hafiz, who led the sunset prayers, told the GDN.
“This is also an opportunity to learn from each other Ramadan and its significance, and to challenge the view that different faiths don’t get along.”
Imam Hafiz also noted the historical significance of the UK capital London’s West End being decorated to celebrate Ramadan for the first time ever.
“As a Muslim, I think it’s really important because sometimes there are some people who want to promote a bad image of Islam because of the actions of some people in some other part of the world. And this shows that Muslims can also be part and parcel of society – the same way we have Christmas lights, we now have Ramadan lights.”
A Muslim member of the UK Royal Navy joined the prayers and told the GDN that the atmosphere of Ramadan in Bahrain felt just like home.
Royal Air Force (RAF) Squadron Leader Ahasan Nazir, a UK citizen with Pakistani origins, found Bahrain ‘very welcoming’.
Also at the event was the Chaplain of the Fleet The Venerable Andrew Hillier KHC, UK Maritime Component Commander (UKMCC) Commodore Philip Dennis and British Ambassador Roddy Drummond.
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