Friends scattered across Turkey meet at ‘online’ iftar dinner

ISTANBUL

A group of friends who live in Turkey’s different cities and are unable to get together due to the novel coronavirus outbreak have met during an online iftar dinner, breaking their fasts together.

From canceled iftar feasts to suspended mosque prayers, Muslims across the world are weathering a solitary month of Ramadan, fasting as the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic lingers.

During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to dusk and then gather around a family or community meal each evening of Islam’s holiest month, which began on April 24 in Turkey and will end with Eid al-Fitr festivities. The evening meal where the fast ends until the pre-dawn meals is called “iftar.”

But this year, the fast-spreading novel coronavirus threatens to dampen Ramadan with many locked in their homes in self-isolation.

Thus, Muslims across the world are trying to find ways to spend Ramadan with their loved ones despite the COVID-19.

In Turkey, a group of friends held an “online” iftar meal via platforms that have videoconference features.

Seda Uğural Sapcı and her husband Mert Sapcı, both doctors, and their friends have got together with their friends, who live in different cities, and enjoyed a Ramadan feast via online communication.

“During every Ramadan, crowded iftars are held and everyone wants to see their friends and relatives. We came up with this idea since we missed crowded iftars and were unable to meet with our friends due to the coronavirus,” Seda Sapcı told state-run Anadolu Agency.

“Even though it was held on an online platform, it was great, and we held our iftar, drank our tea and had a conversation like we were at the same table,” she said.

Sapcı also said that all participants to the videoconference held their iftars at different hours due to the time difference.

“It was psychologically helpful for us,” she said.