Iftar

Today was the opening event of this fall’s Campus Community Book Project, which this year is The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. The first work of fiction we’ve done, it seems to be drawing quite a different crowd than the past three. We’ll see when it’s all over just how different.

Today featured a kite-making demonstration and an introductory film about Islam followed by a panel discussion, a break-the-fast (it’s Ramadan), and delicious community meal catered by Kabul Restaurant here in Davis.

I sat next to a sociology professor who teaches at Sacramento State and a student in child development. At our table we were pretty evenly split, muslims and non-muslims, but everyone was eager to learn about each other, and about each other’s beliefs, in an atmosphere of respect and tolerance.

I think we should do this kind of thing more often. We’ll have a chance, next week. There’s a community Iftar for the whole of Davis.