by: Farooq Mirza
The prominent Pakistani-American community organization PASWO organized a grand interfaith Iftar dinner in New York’s “Little Pakistan” area on Coney Island Avenue. The event saw a large turnout, particularly from women, and featured active participation from leaders of the Hindus, Jewish (addressing antisemitism), Christians and other ethnic communities.
The primary purpose of the Iftar dinner was to promote interfaith harmony , religious coexistence, and the rejection of hatred and extremism—especially amid rising antisemitism in the U.S. and the ongoing Gaza-Israel conflict and related tensions in Iran and the region. During this blessed month of Ramadan, participants offered collective prayers for global peace, stability, and unity.
This gathering reflects a strong American tradition among ethnic communities: setting aside personal ideologies and differences to unite on shared values of compassion, justice, and peace. New York City’s administration has also established dedicated institutions to combat hate crimes, further supporting such inclusive events.
New York Assemblywoman Farah Louis attended and spoke, emphasizing that all communities respect one another’s faiths. She highlighted her close connection to the Muslim community, describing it as a peacekeeping force.
The event featured representatives from various organizations, including media outlets and community groups such as BRIDGE , PASWO , and 4thpillar . Attendees included Toqeer-ul-Haq , Farooq Mirza, Khurram , Aneela Rashid , Christian community leader James Saprian , Kashmiri representatives, and members of Jewish organizations combating antisemitism and BRIDGE International , a Jewish and multi-ethnic organization, was represented by its chairman Mark Apple , who participated actively.
A special highlight was an Israeli woman who performed a beautiful song dedicated to peace and stability.
Attya Shahnaz , former liaison to Mayor Eric Adams and a key host in the event, has long championed interfaith and international harmony through large-scale programs. She enjoys immense respect in the Pakistani-American community. Her organization, PASWO, and its team stand out for involving children in events, nurturing leadership and community service skills in the younger generation.
The Iftar dinner not only embodied the true spirit of Ramadan but also brought people of diverse faiths to one table, delivering a powerful message of peace, friendship, and humanity to the world.
FARA Louis Assemblywoman, New York said:
“It’s truly an honor for me to be here today, and I want to thank all the organizations that invited me. So I just want to quickly thank PASWO , BRIDGE and the Women’s Foundation for the opportunity to join you all today for this Ramadan celebration. Ramadan is a sacred time of reflection, gratitude, and community. Events like these remind us of how powerful it is when we build bonds and come together to unite—when all faiths can come together to support our Muslim neighbors. To all those observing, we wish you a blessed and peaceful Ramadan. May your fast be easy, your prayers be answered, and the holy month bring you joy and renewal. Ramadan Mubarak to you all.
Also, as we just celebrated International Women’s Day, it’s so important for us to support one another and fellowship with one another. So I do want to thank PASWO and women who are part of the organization for all the work you do and for always uniting the women in our community. Let us continue to unite. Have an easy fast during this season, and enjoy the rest of the festivities.””
Attya Shahnaz the Chairperson, PASWO said:
“This Annual Interfaith Iftar Dinner is about more than simply sharing a meal. During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims around the world fast from dawn until sunset as a time of reflection, discipline, compassion, and spiritual renewal. The Iftar marks the breaking of the fast, but it also represents something deeper: gratitude, community, and generosity.
What makes tonight especially meaningful is that we come together as people of many faiths, traditions, cultures, and backgrounds. Interfaith gatherings like this remind us that while our beliefs may be expressed in different ways, our values often meet at the same place—compassion for our neighbors, commitment to justice, service to others, and our desire for peace. In a time when the world can sometimes feel divided, evenings like this are powerful. Sharing a table allows us to listen, to learn from one another, and to build friendships and strengthen our communities.
I would like to thank all the organizers and community organizations who are part of this wonderful and meaningful evening. We are building bridges, not creating barriers of hate and violence.”
Syed Hamza – Director, AMAN said:
“It’s about promoting love, coexistence, and rejecting all forms of hatred and extremism. So when we all come together here, what we’re actually doing is dismantling labels and stereotypes. We’re becoming friends, neighbors, and fellow human beings, and we’re learning about each other.”
Natalia Sanandaji and
Andy Zaidman said:
“Wr honored to be here with all of you. It’s been a long few years for us, and creating these new bridges is something very special to me—something I believe in deeply. It’s the only way forward for us. Hopefully, this craziness will end soon, and this is what we’ll be left with: togetherness, peace, light over darkness, love over hate, and humanity over insanity.”
Aneela Ali (representative) said:
“From our president, Aneela Ali, who deeply regrets that she could not be with you here tonight in New York. She asked me to convey her heartfelt regards and prayers for everyone gathered here. Aneela is a passionate advocate for interfaith dialogue and peacebuilding. She believes strongly that moments like this when people from different faiths and backgrounds come together are exactly what our world needs more of today. We believe that faith should be a bridge and not a barrier. We work every day to build understanding between Muslims, Jews, Christians, and people of all traditions. We believe that when we sit together, share our stories, and listen to one another with compassion, we begin to replace fear with friendship and misunderstanding with trust. This is why gatherings like this interfaith Iftars are so meaningful.
Mark Mayer Apple President, Bridge said:
“Tonight, in about half an hour, millions of Muslims around the world will be breaking their fast at an Iftar dinner. It’s a month when Muslims around the world reflect on peace, hope, and love. I’m so proud to be here along with so many diverse communities—Pakistanis, Muslims, Jews, the Combat Antisemitism Movement (which is a national movement that fights for unity and love).We’re all here in spirit, we’re here physically, and we’re here forever because no person in the world will tell us how to love.”
UN Ambassador said:
“Ladies and gentlemen, first of all, before I speak, I would like all of us to give a standing ovation to Attia. Please, everyone stand up. A standing ovation to Attia. Regardless of whether she is working with the Mayor or involved in the government, she is keeping all the traditions alive. I think this is worth appreciating, respecting, and admiring.
Attia has always made it very clear that every single religion and culture is one. There is no such thing as different cultures and religions—there is one humanity. This is the culture and religion that exists: humanity.
She was the one who introduced me to the community and made sure everybody accepted me as family. This is exactly the type of practice we want to see everyone reenact.
Pankaj Mehta said:
“Salaam and Shalom. Thank you for inviting me here. In a world with so much conflict, it’s nice to see people coming together. I want to first say Ramadan Mubarak, friends, and also best wishes for this sacred month. Thank you to the organizers for bringing people of all different faiths together this evening to reflect with gratitude.”
NY Police Officer Rana Adeel said:
“All your true friends and supporters come out and actually show up for your cause—the cause of highlighting opportunities for our ladies and youngsters, and giving opportunities to our mothers and sisters who don’t have many. Thank you for putting this together. I wish you the best of luck, and keep doing the amazing work for our youngsters, especially our ladies. Hopefully one day our ladies will continue to flourish and set a great example for our community. Best of luck. Ramadan Mubarak, and inshallah we’ll see you soon.”
Tauqeer Ul Haq Chairman APAC said “ we are proud to be Muslim observing interfaith harmony among ethnic community and Iftar Dinner is a blessing of God. Pakistani American Community believes in togetherness , friendship and peace . He prayed for peace and unity in the world . He assured that his Organisation will keep promote religious harmony”
Among other speaker Mr. Khurrum said PASWO always comes with new energy in the Community and Attia is a bold women par excellence .
The Guests were served delicious food and presented fresh Dates as a gift.
