Source: Los Angeles Times
On November 1, 2003 the Los Angeles Times reported on "the many new ways that Muslims are sharing Ramadan with the broader non-Muslim community. Such efforts multiplied after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks sparked widespread public curiosity -- and some hostility -- toward Islam, and seem to be reaching new levels today... In the United States, where ethnic and religious traditions are so often shared and intermingled, Ramadan is becoming a season of spiritual reflection for many non-Muslims as well. Some people are trying the fast or joining interfaith and intercultural fast-breakings known as iftars. The Muslim student associations at USC and UCLA, for instance, are recruiting non-Muslims to join a 'Ramadan fast-a-thon' to raise money for health care and hot meals for the homeless... At Senshin Buddhist Temple in Los Angeles on Nov. 15, Muslims will share an iftar with a diverse group of other Southern Californians who plan to present a program of poetry and music on issues of peace, justice and civil rights."