Iftar parties - Public Relation Stunt or Religious Practice

Month of patience made mere extravaganza, spendthrift practice

Ramazan is the month of patience and tolerance teaching us to eat and use each and everything in moderation. Islam also teaches us to be moderate in our day to day life but now a day people have forgotten these teachings. People have made Iftar parties a public relation practice instead of a religious obligation.

In this month of sacrifice, we help others -- poor and the needy people so that we may win God’s grace. Different Ngo’s , business organization and rich people arrange grand Iftar parties for the rich people while keeping in their mind that we will get ‘Swab’ this way because this is the holy month and God helps everyone whoever tries a little bit. But they spend huge amount in arrangement of these Iftar parties improving their public relations instead of a religious practice which is regrettable.

There are thousands of poor people living in the outskirts and the low-lying areas of Islamabad and Rawalpindi who have to risk their life and honour for winning bread for their children. But on the other hand, we see that they (Iftar party organizers) spend all the money in the name of uplifting these poor people but these parties eventually help them improve their public relations.

The wastage of food at these parties is a common practice in the best hotels in the federal capital. At least 50% of the served food is wasted every day and then they just throw that away and it is dumped. If the surplus food at these Iftar parties is preserved and later distributed among those who look for a few morsels of bread from heaps of garbage, it will not only fulfil their nutritional needs but also revive the true spirit of Ramadan and the Iftar parties.