There are few acts quite as effective in bringing people together as sharing a meal. Preparing a special repast and enjoying the fruits of your labour in the company of others is a well known remedy to division and antipathy.
With several religions observing important calendar dates, the Easter bank holiday served as an ideal moment to indulge in the timeless delight of a community meal. But yesterday in Antwerp, the participants were not one group of friends, a single family or even of one faith as one district marked the occasion with a feast of even greater proportions.
Stretching down both sides of the street, a table of over two kilometres was laid for around 7,000 locals who together shared the iftar meal that breaks the daily fast during Ramadan. The inter-faith event, which took place on the 21st day of Ramadan and the second day of Easter, was a resounding success, with local officials joining in and footage picked up by international media.
The meal itself had a zero-waste policy and featured a variety of cuisines, from classic Flemish fare to Syrian, Moroccan and Palestinian. It was also the largest community meal ever to take place in Belgium.
The local mayor expressed the importance of the event in times of "disenfranchisement and polarization". Organisers, from the Muslim community, explained the vision of sharing each other's festivities and "celebrating what we have in common".
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1. Two-kilometre-long dinner table in Antwerp breaks Belgian record
Around 7,000 people came together for a community meal celebrating both Easter and Ramadan in Borgerhout, Antwerp, on Sunday evening. The two-kilometre-long gathering broke the Belgian record for the longest table. Read more.
2. Belgium among countries with best work-life balance worldwide
Belgium is among the countries with the best work-life balance across the world, finishing in tenth place with a score of 7.7 out of 10, according to the OECD's Better Life Index. Read more.
3. Cheeky chocolates, cat trams and prisoner bike carts: Belgium's best April Fools 2024
Various organisations and municipalities across Belgium enjoyed playing pranks on Monday on the occasion of April Fools' Day. Read more.
4. The Flanders integration course: Participation improves as penalties grow
The number of infringement cases for non-EU nationals who fail to comply with mandatory integration requirements in Flanders decreased slightly; those who did fail to meet these requirements received bigger fines. Read more.
5. European degree: Game changer for students and universities?
The European Commission presented last week a package of proposals to advance transnational cooperation between higher education institutions in the EU with the ultimate goal of creating a European degree. Read more.
6. Stabbing on board Brussels train severely injures one person
One person was stabbed on a train in Brussels on Monday afternoon. The victim is severely injured but is expected to survive. Read more.
7. 'I hope the next government has fewer parties,' says De Croo
After 3.5 years at the head of Belgium's Federal Government, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Open VLD) would like the next government to count fewer parties than his current ideologically diverse seven-party 'Vivaldi' coalition. Read more.
