When breaking the Ramadan fast with Muslim attendees at the Interfaith Iftar hosted by the Naz Legacy Foundation at The Archbishop’s House in Westminster, London, on the night of June 13, 2017, representing the Zoroastrian faith were Khushnuma Anklesaria and Ervad Yazad Bhadha. The two young Zoroastrians were among the 80 invitees of all faiths and none who joined the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, chief rabbi Ephraim Mirvis of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth and the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster Cardinal Vincent Nichols.
"Ramadan is a time for self development and consideration for Muslims around the world,” noted a report by Anklesaria who appreciated that "we were able to reflect in small groups about what we can do to bring different communities together to benefit London and our wider society” like shared homework, after school clubs, sports and music groups to facilitate interaction and knowledge exchange. As expressed a young Muslim participant, "In this room I see hope.” According to Anklesaria, "If the Iftar is anything to go by, people across London have a real desire to connect our communities together and find strength in our differences.”
From left: Khushnuma Anklesaria, Cardinal Vincent Nichols,
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis and Ervad Yazad Bhadha; inset: Mayor Sadiq Khan
An executive committee member of the Religions for Peace UK, Anklesaria, who is a property developer and business developer within the residential property sector, states that she was motivated to be involved in interfaith activities as she believes that "at the core of every religion is gratitude, love and sincerity. Appreciation and respect for religious diversity and commonalities are an essential part of harmonious relationships within our society.”
Bhadha who hails from Udvada is a full-time resident mobed tending the Setayesh Gah at the Zoroastrian Centre in Harrow, London since 2014. In addition to fulfilling the religious needs of the Zoroastrian community in the UK and Europe, he conducts weekly prayer classes for children and involves himself in the activities of Young Zoroastrians as the youth group in London is known. "Following the ZTFE (Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe) initiative of producing scholarly priests, Yazad is currently pursuing his MA in Zoroastrian studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies” where the ZTFE facilitated the Zartoshty Brothers endowment, notes ZTFE trustee Rusi Dalal who sent the details to Parsiana.