How do you break your Ramadan fast?

By Rubaina Azhar, Daniela Gerson

June 16, 2016 6:02 PM PT

In California, Muslims observing Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting that began June 6, rise before 4 a.m. to eat breakfast before fasting through the day. Nothing, including water, is consumed. The idea is to strengthen one's relationship with Allah and cultivate self-discipline. And each evening, the fast is broken with an iftar meal.

We are interested in sharing the diverse ways in which Californians end their fasts. Reflecting the region's varied Muslim population, that may include a vegetable pakora if your family is from Bangladesh, or a lamb sambusa if you have Somali or Ethiopian roots.

What is your iftar meal like? We may select several submissions for publication on LATimes.com and in the paper. You can also share using the hashtag #iftarCalifornia on Twitter or Instagram. Ramadan Mubarak, and may your fast be easy!

daniela.gerson@latimes.com

Twitter: @dhgerson

California

Daniela Gerson

Daniela Gerson was a community engagement editor at the Los Angeles Times. She left in 2016. As a journalist and educator, her work focuses on multiethnic communities and innovations in participatory media. She was previously the director of the Civic Engagement and Journalism Initiative at USC’s Annenberg School. Gerson was the founding editor of Alhambra Source, a research-based site investigating how local news can foster civic engagement. She also developed Reporter Corps, a program to train young adults to report on their own communities. Gerson has contributed to the Financial Times Magazine, the New York Times, PRI’s The World, Der Spiegel, WNYC, and was a staff immigration reporter for the New York Sun. Daniela is the recipient of Alexander von Humboldt and Arthur F. Burns fellowships. A graduate of Brown University and USC Annenberg, she speaks Spanish and Portuguese, and can get by in German and Hebrew.

How do you break your Ramadan fast?

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