First Halal Festival in Naperville
The world is the home of diversity. Besides the fact that we encompass a comprehensive range of differences such as race, gender, language, religion, and culture, there is another undeniable reality: We all breathe the same air and consume food and water under the same roof of the world. The subject of our news article is the first Halal Festival in Naperville, aiming to bring our diversities together.
The Muslim community in Naperville, USA, is coming together next month to showcase their rich cultural heritage, cuisine, and arts at the city’s first Halal Festival. According to the Chicago Tribune, the Naperville Halal Festival will begin at noon on August 5th at Frontier Park and will conclude at 8 p.m.
Shafeek Abubaker, a resident of Naperville and the organizer of the festival, stated that the festival’s purpose is not only to attract Muslims from Chicago but also to include people from Naperville and its surrounding areas who come to enjoy the festival and get to know each other. He expressed the true purpose of the festival by saying, “By coming and having fun together, we can uncover the mystery of some of the prejudices we have.”
The festival opens its doors to people of all beliefs and backgrounds, aiming to strengthen community unity and build bridges of interfaith understanding and respect. Additionally, Abubaker sees the festival as an opportunity to encourage and support Muslim businesses and industries, thereby promoting entrepreneurship within the community.
Halal Cuisine
Abubaker mentioned that there will be a wide range of halal cuisine options, including American dishes. He said, “There are many people who were born and raised in America and thus have developed a taste preference that is different from the flavors found in India or Pakistan, for example.” Abubaker hopes to increase the success of this year’s festival and expand it further in the future.
“It will take a few years. I have already submitted the paperwork for next year, so we will continue with it. The date may change as we have not finalized it yet. However, we will have this festival every year,” he said.
Earlier this year, the Muslim Festival of North Carolina brought together hundreds of people to foster connections between communities. In December of last year, the Islamic center in Cambridge, Ontario, invited their neighbors to an Annual Family Fun Night filled with games, gifts, and more. Additionally, the Islamic Center in Greater Lansing hosted the Salam-Peace Festival to bring together different cultures through exhibitions and cuisine.
People have been created as stewards of the Earth. (Quran, 2:30)
Therefore, it is our duty to strive to live harmoniously in the world with our differences because we enrich each other through our diversities. The festivals we have featured in our news article are examples of this.
