Bayram sofra in Belgrade - a contribution to the interreligious dialogue and visibility of minority religious communities

Abstract

The paper focuses on the celebration of Ramadan Bayram and the organization of the feast Bayram sofra in Belgrade. The Islamic Community of Serbia and the Cultural Society of Muslims in Serbia - ?Gajret?, have been organizing the Bayram sofra since 2009 as the celebration which symbolizes the end of the Ramadan fasting. The celebration is held in the public space in front of the Bajrakli mosque in Belgrade. Since it is organized as part of the celebration of Ramadan Bayram, its meaning can be observed and analyzed in a religious, but also in a broader social context. In this paper, we observe the Bayram sofra in the context of learning about Islam, as the minority religious community, but also as an event which initiates interreligious dialogue at several different levels. Thus, we focus on identifying the elements of dialogue between the Islamic community and other religious communities, as well as the citizens of Belgrade, relying on some theoretical concepts of interreligious dialogue. The ethnographic research of the Bayram sofra started in 2020 with the main focus on the social and religious elements of Ramadan Bayram and the role of this religious festival in enhancing the visibility of this religious minority in Serbia.