Bristol Grand Iftar celebrated at cathedral

It was the first time the Grand Iftar was celebrated at Bristol Cathedral

Hundreds of people have come together to celebrate the Islamic Grand Iftar at Bristol Cathedral.

People from multiple faiths came to celebrate the Grand Iftar which was held at the cathedral for the first time on Thursday.

Iftar marks the end of daily fasting during Ramadan and is open to non-muslims.

Organisers said it was a special collaboration between faith groups around the idea of 'hope'.

The Bristol Cathedral event was organised by Muslims4Bristol in partnership with Bristol Cathedral and Bridges for Communities.

Members from different faith groups came together to celebrate the breaking of the fast

Busharat Alile, said it was a "great privilege" to host a multi-faith event at Bristol Cathedral

The event started in Bristol in 2017 as a way of promoting peace and unity following the Manchester Arena bombing.

Busharat Alile, who sits on the organising committee of the Grand Iftar, said it was a great privilege to host a multi-faith event at Bristol Cathedral.

"It is such a great message for the rest of the world that Bristol is united, regardless of their faith, their colour or their background," he said.

"We stand for humanity, we stand for peace, we stand for justice around the world."

"It's lovely to see all these people from different religions under the same roof," said Mohammad Islam.

Mohammad Islam is chair of Bangladesh Association (Bristol, Bath & West) and management committee member for Shah Jalal Jame Mosque in Easton.

"Bristol is a multi-cultural society. Muslim people breaking the fast in a cathedral - that itself explains everything," he said.

"It's lovely to see all these people from the different religions everywhere under the same roof."

This year's Ramadan began on 10 March and is due to come to an end on 9 April, when Eid al-Fitr celebrations marking the end of the holy month will be held.

During the month, Muslims fast, which involves abstaining from eating and drinking during daylight hours, and focus on self-improvement, self-reflection and giving to the less fortunate.

Samina Rehmat, pictured left, said celebrating the Grand Iftar in a church was a symbol of "religious harmony"

Samina Rehmat, author, writer, poet and columnist, described the experience as "religious harmony".

"Ramadan is a month of blessing for all the Muslims. Breaking a fast in a cathedral church is an amazing experience because it is religious harmony," she said.

"It brings people of different faiths closer and helps us to understand each other."

Arif Khan said he was overwhelmed with the turnout despite the rain

The Grand Iftar was open to everyone