In Sunderland, northeast England, Christians and Muslims fast together “in solidarity”

At the University of Sunderland, a city located in the north-east of England, an unprecedented interreligious event brought together religious leaders and Muslim and Christian students this week around a common gesture: fasting. While Christians began Lent with Ash Wednesday, Muslims observed the first full day of the month of Ramadan. A particularly rare calendar coincidence, the two sacred periods do not usually begin at the same time.

Organized at dawn on the campus of the University of Sunderland, this meeting allowed everyone to live their spiritual tradition while sharing common time. Imam Yusuf Meah led the dawn prayer (fajr) with a group of Muslim students, under the watchful eye of other religious leaders. At the same time, the establishment’s chaplain, the Reverend Chris Howson, proceeded to impose ashes on the foreheads of volunteers marking the entry into Lent.

For the organizers, this initiative aimed above all to highlight what brings religious traditions together rather than what distinguishes them. All insisted on the importance of fasting and prayer as transversal spiritual practices, present in many faiths. “Sacrificing what we take for granted, like food, allows us to develop discipline and empathy,” emphasized Imam Meah.

Participants included Marwan Ahmed and Mahmoud Elfishawi, two pharmacy students who arrived from Canada last year to continue their studies in Sunderland. Originally from Egypt, they welcomed the existence of a welcoming Muslim community within the university. For them, Ramadan is a special time to strengthen personal discipline and devote more time to reading the Quran and spiritual reflection. Beyond the simple symbol, this shared day in Sunderland opened a space for exchanges and mutual understanding between students of different faiths. A way, according to the religious leaders present, of making this start of Lent and Ramadan a starting point placed under the sign of listening, respect and fraternity.