By Tara Kyle
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
GREENWICH VILLAGE — In the basement of a Catholic Church on Sixth Avenue, in the company of a Jewish couple from the neighborhood, members of NYU's Islamic Center ate Chinese food to kick off Ramadan Thursday night.
After participating in mahgrib — or evening — prayers at the Church of St. Joseph's, NYU's Muslim community broke the first of a month's worth of daily fasts with lo mein, chicken with broccoli and fried rice provided by the Halal eatery No Pork on my Fork.
Over Ramadan, NYU is collaborating for the first time with Park51, the organization that plans to open a new Islamic Center and mosque two blocks from WTC construction.
Members of Park51, who already run weekly prayer services at the Ground Zero site, can attend NYU's iftar (an evening meal offered to break the fast) from Monday through Thursday at the Church of St. Joseph’s, on Sixth Avenue. From Friday through Sunday, the iftar will be offered at Park51, at 45-51 Park Place.
“One of the intentions was to get different communities of Muslims to talk to each other,” said Haroon Moghul, a 30-year-old alum who helps organize ICNYU events.
While young professionals and graduate students usually frequent NYU events, Park51 draws a different crowd of Muslims.
“Most people who pray at Park51 are the cab drivers and cart guys,” Moghul said.
While cab drivers and food cart vendors didn't make a strong showing at Thursday night's service, organizers are hoping there will be more of a mix in days to come.
The bulk of NYU’s Muslim student body do not arrive on campus until Sept. 8, two days before the end of Ramadan. When they do arrive, incoming freshmen will have to deal with the furor over Park51, on top of all the usual anxieties of starting college.
“I do wonder how a typical student coming into Greenwich Village for freshman year reacts to that kind of language, that kind of hate,” said Haroon Moghul, who is also a PhD candidate at Columbia and religion blogger for the Huffington Post.
Greenwich Village resident Howard Glener, 77, decided to attend the iftar with his wife after hearing Moghul speak recently at the Cornell Club, even though he is Jewish.
“I think it was a wonderful opportunity to cross a bridge,” Glener said.
