Columbus City Council is canceling its annual Ramadan iftar fast-breaking dinner after a Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization said that it wouldn’t support the event.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR-Ohio, said in a Tuesday statement that it could not “partake in festivities with those who refuse to acknowledge the unimaginable suffering” in Palestine.
Columbus City Council has not passed a resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. Protesters have called for such a resolution at multiple meetings.
Calling out several city officials for not making statements, while thanking several others for personally calling for a ceasefire, the CAIR-Ohio group said Columbus City Council's delay "represent(s) glaring omissions in addressing the ongoing genocide."
Ramadan is the month on the Islamic lunar calendar when Muslims abstain from food and drink from dawn to sunset and then break their fasts with a meal called iftar.
A Columbus City Council spokesman said in a statement that the cancellation of the city's annual iftar is to “avoid exacerbating tensions within the community” and to not distract from the holy season of Ramadan.
“Columbus City Council holds multiple events annually to bring together diverse faith groups and organizations to foster community cohesion, including our annual iftar dinner. However, given the current climate and out of respect for Muslim leaders, we have decided to cancel this year’s event,” the council's statement reads.
