The community Iftar event at the Islington Assembly Hall

SOME 350 people gathered on Sunday for the first community Iftar ever hosted in the Islington Assembly Hall.

Councillor Saiqa Pandor, who single-handedly organised the event, had spent hours cooking hundreds of vegetable samosas, alongside vats of chicken and vegetarian biriani so that everyone could sit down together for the mass breaking of fast.

She told the Tribune: “Ramadan is about feeding, it’s about charity. I just love it, it’s just so nice to have everyone under one roof, seeing everyone together.”

Cllr Pandor first organised the event four years ago as a small gathering at the Popham Community Centre.

But it has since grown every year, necessitating a larger and larger venue.

Councillor Saiqa Pandor with MP Emily Thornberry

She thanked council leader Una O’Halloran for allowing use of the Assembly Hall, and said she hoped the event would now become an annual celebration.

Cllr Pandor said: “As a lifelong Islingtonian, my goal has always been to create spaces where neighbours can meet as friends.

“Moving the Iftar to such a grand scale at the Town Hall’s Assembly Hall reflects just how much our community values solidarity and mutual respect. It was a huge success, and I am so grateful to everyone who joined us to make this our most ambitious and heart-warming event yet.”

She added: “Whether I get re-elected on May 7 or not, I would like to keep doing this. It was such a special, magical moment, and I would like it to be my legacy.”