Iftar returns to Selhurst Park for the fourth year running
140 south Londoners came together to break fast at our fourth annual community Iftar, held at Selhurst Park.
On Thursday 13th March, we held our fourth annual Iftar event at Selhurst Park Stadium as part of this year’s Ramadan celebrations. Iftar is the main meal of the fasting day throughout Ramadan and is traditionally shared at sunset.
Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar and is considered a sacred period for many Muslims worldwide. It involves a strict daily fast from dawn until sunset, and Iftar is the meal that breaks the fast at sunset – many Muslims break their fast with their community.
One of our key goals at Palace for Life is to make football more inclusive, so this event was part of our ongoing mission to welcome more people to the game, especially our local Asian and Muslim community, the latter of which makes up 11% of the community in Croydon.
On the evening, 140 south Londoners joined together in its usual popular format, kicking off with some workshops for children and stadium tours.
Guests were then welcomed by Palace for Life Patron and host for the evening, Saima Mohsin, who introduced the panellists for the evening – Angela Dainton, who was representing Baroness Gohir of the Muslim’s Women’s Network who spoke in depth about Muslim Heritage Month. Elsewhere on the panel was Professor Zainab Khan, the Pro Vice Chancellor of LSBU and vice-chair of the Premier League Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion Standard (PLEDIS), Dr. Nadia Gaoua (LSBU), and our very own participant-turned-coach, Abdullah Zaman.
We were also delighted to be joined by Palace midfielder Cheick Doucouré, who took time out of his injury recovery to be with us on the night.
Then came the call to prayer, before heading to the dugouts for the annual photo opportunity and food.
We’re immensely grateful for the incredible turnout and support from our local community. Our Iftar’s are a key part of our mission to make football more inclusive for groups that haven’t always had a big presence in the game.
Funded by the Premier League and the Professional Footballers’ Association, our Get Involved programme aims to increase weekly engagement in physical activity, specifically from those of Asian backgrounds. We address the barriers to participation in grassroots football by maintaining dialogue with the local community so we can ensure spaces are truly inclusive. This includes separate male and female sessions, different age groups, and sessions for those of different abilities.