Breaking the Fast with Strangers

For people of the Islamic faith, Ramadan is a holy month of increased prayer which requires the believer to abstain from any food and drink between dawn and sunset.

One of the five pillars of Islam, the month's timing is determined by lunar cycles, and this year it began on the ninth of July.

For the month of Ramadan, Muslim families in south-east Queensland have invited non-Muslim guests for the 'Iftar' dinner. The project was initiated by the Queensland Intercultural Society, whose aim is to promote understanding and social inclusion in the community.

Murat Coskun and his family have not eaten alone since the beginning of Ramadan, sharing every evening meal with friends and strangers.

"Ramadan is a month of sharing; despite the background, race or religion, we share our food," Murat says, "it is also a time of charity."

"According to Islamic teaching, Ramadan is the month where the bounties are multiplied, so a lot of Muslim's will save their charities for the month of Ramadan."

Murat's wife Canan says the family follows tradition by breaking the fast with a date, before they follow with soup and the rest of the meal.

"During Ramadan, because we have been fasting all day, the dishes are a bit more extravagant I guess, but it is very similar to what we have outside of Ramadan," Canan says.

Ramadan is special rite of passage for Muslim's who reach a certain age according to Murat, as his own 6 year-old son has been learning.

"He has fasted 5 or 6 of the days [of Ramadan], he's very enthuastic!" Murat says.