MAKKAH: The Islamic University of Madinah is introducing a range of initiatives and carrying out volunteer work to serve students of different nationalities during Ramadan. Initiatives include distributing iftar and suhoor meals, organizing Umrah trips and supporting fieldwork for visitors to the Prophet’s Mosque. The “Iftar and Suhoor for the Islamic University Students” initiative is one of the biggest Ramadan iftar meals in Madinah. More than 225,000 meals have been distributed to students of different nationalities. The initiatives included distributing iftar and suhoor meals, organizing Umrah trips and supporting fieldwork for the visitors of the Prophet’s Mosque. (Supplied) These included 105,000 iftar meals, more than 70,000 suhoor meals for students on campus during Ramadan, and more than 51,000 iftar and suhoor meals distributed to students in housing units outside the university by a group of volunteers from the university’s members and students. The programs also included “Iftar around the World,” which is being held for the second consecutive year at the university. Students of 170 nationalities participated in learning about iftar meals during Ramadan, including different cultures and customs, types of food, ingredients and preparation. The initiative aims to support connection and communication between university students and members. Dean of the Shariah faculty at the university, Muslim Al-Jehani, described the international iftar as a beautiful gesture by Prof. Prince Mamdouh bin Saud bin Thunayan, the university’s president. He said the university’s educational facilities host more than 165 nationalities, and iftar reflects its message and goals as a global scientific beacon. The university’s strategic goal is to spread the culture of Saudi Arabia and its global message of peace, coexistence, and renunciation of violence and extremism, Al-Jehani said. Ahmed Khader Abu Sultan, a student from Palestine, said that the international iftar table reflects Saudi Arabia’s cultural diversity. The Islamic University is known as a pioneer in the field of cultural convergence for all Muslims, he added. “I don’t think there is anything like it in terms of cultural diversity. Each student prepared some dishes with the support of the student fund from the Islamic University. Over 20 countries participated in this event, and each country provided approximately five different dishes to feed over 400 attendees,” Abu Sultan said. Postgraduate student Abdelwahhab Mohammed Badi, who specializes in curricula and teaching methods, said that the university is home to numerous cultures from different countries, in which customs and traditions vary. “This international iftar initiative targeted students, attendees and visitors to the city to learn more about each person’s cultural background, as well as discover dishes from different countries, to find out what makes each country unique.” Badi said that the university is a pioneer in launching, embracing and supporting these initiatives, as the iftar table was filled with diverse dishes, allowing attendees to enjoy flavors from different countries without traveling abroad. “We are eagerly awaiting the Festival of Cultures and Peoples, which will be held in about two weeks at the university,” he added. Fahmy Hassan Al-Nimri, a Tunisian student at the Dawah faculty, said that the Islamic University succeeded for the second year in a row in making this initiative a hit, which reflects a high sense of awareness among its officials and students of the importance of bringing people together. He added that no other country unites people from different nationalities and cultures in harmony, love and brotherhood during Ramadan; the university is thus providing the most wonderful examples of unity and solidarity. Wael Rafeeq, a journalist from Madinah who was invited to the international iftar, said: “The Islamic University has always impressed us with such creative initiatives. It has restored this creative glow with its activities, which are perfectly organized and extremely welcoming.” Rafeeq said that this reflects the university’s sophistication and broad experience in bringing together creators, thinkers and intellectuals, allowing attendees to learn about the cultures of different peoples while enjoying delicious and varied Ramadan meals. The university organized Umrah trips that benefited 4,977 students from 85 nationalities with 102 trips to the Grand Mosque via bus in the past few days. The initiative aimed to enable students to perform Umrah rituals with facilitated services provided by the university. There are 300 students volunteering to offer services and support the work provided for the Prophet’s Mosque visitors, in coordination with authorities concerned with serving visitors during Ramadan.