LOS ANGELES (RNS) — When Rida Hamida approached a mosque with the idea of breaking Ramadan fast with a taco truck, she faced a tough sell. When it comes to the evening iftar — the dinner Muslims share after a day’s fasting in Ramadan — the Muslim population in Orange County, south of Los Angeles, is accustomed to traditional Arabic and South Asian biryani meals, with rice and meat kebabs.
But besides being immediately gratifying and accessible, Hamida thought, the taco would also bring Orange County’s Latino and Muslim communities together. So she made a proposal: She’d bring a taco truck to the mosque to serve halal tacos, while the mosque’s leader provided biryani. Then they’d see what the people would prefer.
“Everyone went to our taco truck,” said Hamida, executive director and founder of the group Latino & Muslim Unity.
