Yesterday at 8:30 PM • Edited yesterday at 9:11 PM
As soon as the clock strikes half past six, Halil begins the dua, the prayer that breaks the fast. It is something he does every day during Ramadan, but this time there are three complete strangers at the table. Through the Samen Foundation, his wife Songul and he prepared an iftar for Tilburgers Mascha, Jaap and Tonny. “In Ramadan it is important to share what you have.”
Even before the food is on the table, the conversation starts. Mascha and Jaap have been married for 23 years and came to iftar with their mother Tonny. “I am a language buddy of a Turkish family in the Reeshof and I find it interesting to get to know new cultures,” says Mascha, for whom this is the third time.
Despite the full mouths, the conversation is anything but silent. 71-year-old Tonny is curious about the culture of the Turkish couple. “I think it’s special. We actually know very little about it,” she says. “They are so incredibly hospitable. I don’t think many Dutch people would just do this. Maybe neither would I.”
Mascha also thinks it is a special evening and would recommend others to join us. “A lot of people don’t even know their neighbors,” she says. “I think we could all take a closer look at who lives near us. There are many prejudices about refugees. It is always about the number, but never about the people behind them.”
“I am grateful for the Netherlands and therefore want to participate in these types of activities.”
After breaking the fast with a drink of water and a date, Halil gets up to pour a fresh bowl of homemade lentil soup. As soon as the bowl is empty, his wife Songul gets up to put the next dish on the table: Turkish rice, seasoned meat and bread.
While non-Muslim Tilburg residents find it special, this also applies to the Turkish couple who fled their native country. “We live in the Netherlands and I think we should learn Dutch culture,” says Songul. Not much later, her husband Halil adds: “I am grateful for the Netherlands and therefore want to participate in these types of activities.”
“Sharing is very important for Muslims, including food and drinks.”
While the plates slowly start to become a bit emptier and the bellies start to become a bit fuller, the next bowls filled with Turkish delicacies are brought to the table. On one are rolled up vine leaves with rice and herbs. On the other are a kind of oliebollen, filled with seasoned minced meat. Mascha finds it special how hospitable Songul and Halil are. “They are very grateful and open. They like to talk and they enjoy learning Dutch in this way.”
In the meantime, Songul is happy that the food and drinks are well received: “For Muslims, sharing is very important, including food and drinks. I am very happy that I can now share the food with these Tilburgers.”
Iftars for Tilburg residents without a Muslim background
The Samen Foundation has been organizing iftars for eight years, where Tilburg residents without a Muslim background join a Muslim family. Initiator Dursun Can wants to bring people with different religious beliefs into contact with each other. The idea originated in Belgium and was later also set up in Tilburg.
