The Interfaith Iftar at PHS, led by the Muslim Student Union (MSU) on March 17, brought together students, staff, and the local community to celebrate Ramadan and build connections among people of all faiths. The Iftar included both Muslim and non-Muslim students, community members, and several speakers.

“The Interfaith Iftar is an event for everyone to come and learn about the month of Ramadan and how Muslims break fast. Additionally, it’s for all of us to come together to embrace [our] similarities and differences so that we can all connect and become closer together,” said Asma Qureshi ’25, a leader of the Interfaith Iftar and the PHS MSU. “I want this to be a glimmer of hope and light in our very own Princeton. And I hope that after tonight, our hearts stay kind and pure to ourselves and to one another.”

The event began with a land acknowledgement, followed by several presenters from the local community. These speakers included Muslim imams and members of the Jewish and Christian communities, who all emphasized the common beliefs of peace throughout different religions and cultures.

“This particular time in 2025 is a beautiful convergence of blessed days, as the month of Ramadan coincides with Lent, Passover, and the holiday of Easter and Good Friday,” said Levon Brown, an imam and one of the speakers at the Iftar. “It is a time of reflection and unity amongst our multicultural and diverse family, and we are in a country of diversity and multiculturalism. This is the land of freedom of religion and freedom of thought, and this is what we celebrate tonight at this blessed 4th annual Iftar event.”

The Iftar also had the first-ever crescent lighting at PHS. An Eid Committee brought a metal crescent to PHS, which had previously been lit in over 50 other communities throughout New Jersey, as a symbol of unity.

The event comes at a time of considerable tension in the Muslim community, especially after college campus protests over Palestine and divestment from Israel. On March 18, the Trump administration ordered the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to seize Mahmoud Khalil for his role in Columbia’s Palestine protests last year. Though he is not accused of any charges, he faces potential deportation.

“[It’s easy] to come to a celebration and be with people who are of like minds, [but] for me, allyship means standing up for people when it’s not easy,” said Linda Oppenheim, a member of Not in Our Town Princeton. “To some degree these days, it’s within my own community. This past Saturday, in my synagogue, when they asked people to stand to give names of people who are suffering physically or spiritually, I [said] the names of Khalil Mahmood and [his wife] Noor Abdullah.”

Malachi Wood, a French teacher at PHS and the advisor for the Muslim Union, noted the two goals of the Interfaith Iftar. “I hope that non-Muslim students will have a better insight into Islam and the Muslim community, and see that it’s a warm, welcoming community. I hope that Muslim students will [be able to] feel valued as members of the community and see that there’s a place for them here — that they’re included,” said Wood.

Though students of all backgrounds were encouraged to attend, the Iftar included religious ceremonies that celebrate the end of the daily Muslim fast during the holy month of Ramadan — one of the five pillars of Islam, designed to strengthen Muslims’ relationship with God.

“Once everyone [broke] their fast, we [had] an imam come to lead the prayer, and whoever needed to pray pray[ed]. Otherwise, people [got] their dinner or observed if they want to. In the past years, we’ve usually had a final remark, called a Dua, which is basically a prayer for … hope [and] peace in the world,” said Qureshi.

PHS began the tradition of the Iftar in 2017, though did not host it for several years. Qureshi and Wood began reviving the Iftar two years ago — this year, around 40 PHS students, administrators, faculty, and Princeton community members attended the event.

“I came [in part] to support the students, and also to learn more about Ramadan and Iftar,” said Valerie Henry, an administrative assistant at PHS. “I was happy to see my very first crescent lighting.”