“No fast, no feast, the saying goes,” and it’s a principle which Canberra’s interfaith community has been putting into practice during the month of Ramadan, when Muslims fast from dawn to dusk.

A distinctly Canberran angle on Iftar (fast-breaking) around the ACT is the ecumenical flavour adopted by many organisations, flying in the face of Islamophobic incidents elsewhere.

A week ago, for instance, a lavish Iftar celebration spearheaded by humanitarian advocate Mohammed Ali and supported by Uniting Care took place at the Kippax Uniting Church, with members of many faith groups present.

Then on Sunday at the Ainslie Football Club, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Canberra invited clerical representatives from several different religious traditions day to give account of the fasting traditions in their own religions to a large group of people.

This included senior diplomats from Peru, the US, South Africa, Iran, Sudan and India, and representatives of the Sikh, Bahai, Anglican and Scientology communities.

The event was hosted by Imam Ahmad Nadeem, president of the local Ahmadiyya Canberra Muslim community, who gave the Islamic perspective on fasting.

Shanti Reddy, from the Hindu community, spoke of the higher purposes of cleansing body mind and soul, saying its health benefits affirmed ancient tradition, while Rabbi Shimon Eddi talked of the concept of fasting in the Torah, saying it was a way of focusing the mind to remove the physicality and think of spirituality.

Michael Stewart from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, spoke of their monthly fast, where money saved was donated to causes such as desalination works in the Pacific, adding “fasting gives power and strength”.

Giving the Buddhist perspective, Lama Choedak told those present that while the Buddha had fasted for six years he actually obtained enlightenment by stepping back from fasting to stay alive and preach his famous Middle Path to enlightenment.

It wouldn’t be Canberra without politicians, so before the feasting commenced, Canberra MLAs Taimus Werner-Gibbings, Peter Cain, Andrew Braddock and Laura Nuttall all gave their views of Ramadan while Federal member for Bean, David Smith, said such interfaith events resonated well beyond faith and tradition.

Summing up, Indian High Commissioner Gopal Baglay reminded everyone that the word Islam meant peace and that the purpose of fasting was to discover inner peace.

“We are all worshipping in our own way,” he said.

Ramadan concludes at the end of this week on sighting of the new moon, with the feast of Eid Al-Fitr.