Maryland U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen broke fast at a Thursday Iftar in Baltimore County where joy mixed with grief over the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
Ramadan is a holy month in Islam, celebrated with fasting from sunup until sundown when the fast is broken by feasting and prayer. Every year, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community at Bait-us-Samad Mosque in Rosedale hosts an interfaith Iftar with an honored guest.
This year that celebration was mixed with joy and grief as the Israel-Hamas war continues.
“I cannot look at my dinner plate and be happy,” said Aziza Khan, who was only able to eat a few cucumbers and spoonfuls of rice after a day of fasting. Khan, who serves as president of the mosque's women's auxiliary, says she takes her fasts “very seriously” and that for her, they are “difficult.”
“I know there are people in Gaza who are fasting. They don’t even have food,” she said, breathing in deeply to stop from crying.
In late February, the United Nations reported that over half a million people, more than a quarter of Gaza’s population, is a step away from famine. All 2.3 million people face severe food insecurity.
On October 7th, Hamas, considered a terrorist organization by the United States, launched an attack into southern Israel that killed over 1,200 people; approximately 240 were taken as hostages. Israel, under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, responded with a bombardment of the Gaza strip that has so far killed over 30,000 Gazans, according to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health. More than 12,000 of those killed are children.
During Thursday’s Iftar, Van Hollen repeatedly called for a ceasefire in Gaza and return of all remaining hostages.
“I support all the efforts to try to get more humanitarian assistance to the people in Gaza. I support the President's call for airdrops. I support the President's call for a temporary port,” said Van Hollen during his Iftar remarks in Rosedale.
“I have said repeatedly that the Netanyahu government needs to do more to allow humanitarian assistance into Gaza, and I called upon President Biden to use all his influence and instruments of power to address the humanitarian crisis that we're witnessing right now in Gaza.”
Van Hollen, a Democrat, is one of seven US Senators to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. On Tuesday, he joined Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Bernie Sanders (D-VT) in sending a letter to President Joe Biden asking him to give Israel an ultimatum: allow more aid into Gaza or lose U.S. offensive military assistance. In the letter, the senators cite Humanitarian Aid Corridor Act — Section 620I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 USC 2378-1) which they note does not preclude US aid for defensive systems— like the Iron Dome.
“People are not starving in Gaza because of some drought or because of a climate condition. They're starving because of the arbitrary and many unnecessary restrictions that the Netanyahu government has put on getting aid to, to starving people,” said Van Hollen in a separate interview with WYPR.
Around the world, iftars are being held with the purpose of calling for a ceasefire. At the same time, the community in Rosedale recognizes that Islamophobia and antisemitism both are increasing.
As prayers were said and dates were passed around, the community was reminded to go back to the Ahmadiyya mission: “love for all, hatred to none.”
This story has been updated with Khan's role and the name of the Rosedale mosque. 03/17/2024
This story has been updated with clarification about the Humanitarian Aid Corridor Act. 03/18/2024
