To celebrate Ramadan, this Kansas City nonprofit is hosting free communal dinners

It's Ramadan, one of the holiest months in the Islamic calendar. The Dialogue Institute, a local nonprofit, has partnered with 33 different organizations to hold community fast-breaking dinners, called iftars.
For many Muslims, both here in the United States and worldwide, Ramadan is observed by periods of fasting, praying and gathering for communal meals.

"Ramadan is like 30 days of back-to-back Thanksgiving dinners," Eyyup Esen, director of a local nonprofit called the Dialogue Institute, said on Up To Date Monday. "It's the month of unity and compassion, a time when Muslims fast from dawn to sunset."

Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam. Esen said the practice helps Muslims cultivate compassion for others.

"It's a chance for us to understand the less fortunate ones around us and to feel empathy. I often say, to feel empathy for the homeless man on the Plaza," he said.