Leaders in Villa Park break fast together for Ramadan

Community leaders from Villa Park, Lombard, Oak Brook and across DuPage County gathered Friday night for a breakfast of sorts.

The event was an iftar, or a breaking of the fast, in celebration of one of the nights of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Held at the Islamic Foundation in Villa Park, the iftar included presentations, a sundown meal, prayers and a dinner for roughly 150 people.

"It's a very good get-together of local community leaders in the spirit of caring and sharing," said Moon Khan of Lombard, who attended the event.

The mosque at the Islamic Foundation, a nonprofit established in 1974, has been hosting iftar meals and gatherings for at least the past 10 years. Khan said the community gatherings are a common observance during Ramadan, a holy month of self-purification and reflection in which Muslims fast each day from dawn to sunset.

On weekdays during Ramadan, Muslims usually break the fast in the evening at home or with friends or family. But Khan said larger iftars like the one Friday in Villa Park often are planned on weekends.