POCATELLO — A colossal Christmas feast that will be offered free to the public is planned at an unlikely venue.
The Islamic Society of Southeast Idaho’s mosque at 1513 S. Fifth Ave. will host a spread for a crowd of about 200. Food will be served from 5 to 8 p.m.
The Rahim family, whose JRM Foundation is organizing the meal, explained their aim is to celebrate cultural unity.
“In Islam, we don’t celebrate Christmas, and I realized the mosque is open,” said Mustafa Rahim, who suggested the idea. “It’s a good way to show interfaith relations, as well as a good way to give back to everyone.”
The food served at the nonprofit foundation’s Community Open Table and Christmas Dinner will reflect the event’s spirit of diversity. The family hopes it will become an annual tradition.
The Rahims plan to personally prepare Pakistani food to serve. Himalayan Flavor, 303 E. Alameda Road, will supply Indian and Nepali food; Puerto Vallarta, 160 W. Cedar St., will serve Mexican food; Yellowstone Restaurant, 230 W. Bonneville St., is providing dessert; and the Pocatello Police Department is contributing a grill for cooking hot dogs and hamburgers.
Dr. Fahim Rahim, Mustafa Rahim’s uncle, said several of his patients are lonely, struggling financially or have been down on their luck, and the intent of the meal is to provide a good holiday celebration for people in need of one.
However, he said anyone is welcome, and he encouraged people who have the wherewithal to bring their own favorite dishes to lend even more diversity to the menu. He said volunteers to help serve and clean would also be appreciated.
Mustafa Rahim, who is studying pre-medicine at Utah State University, started thinking about the need for such a community service project on Thursday, when he drove by a food pantry and was moved by the long line of people waiting for assistance. The next morning, during prayers, he thought of hosting a meal at the mosque.
“If we have the option to give back as much as we can, why shouldn’t we,” he said.
