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Lebanon Enters Guinness Record Book with Longest Iftar Table | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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5,400 people gather in Beirut at the record-breaking longest iftar table at an event organized by the Ajialouna charity. (AP)


Beirut – Lebanon bagged a new entry in the Guinness book of world records by organizing the longest Ramadan iftar table in the world at 2,184 meters, beating the former record held by Ghana at 1,928 meters.

Under the theme, “Ramadan in the heart”, the “Ajialouna” charity organization prepared the event under the patronage of Prime Minister Saad Hariri in a message of peace and love from Lebanon to the world to show the spiritual meaning of the holy fasting month.

The record-breaking iftar table brought together 5,400 people from all over Lebanon, who gathered at the wooden heart-shaped table at Beirut’s Waterfront.

Ajialouna’s Chairwoman Lina Zaim al-Dada (dentist) said that the event was not prepared with the aim of breaking the record, but it only sought to project the real image of Islam.

She told Asharq Al-Awsat that Ajialouna cooperated with many charities in order to bring together as many people to break their fast.

Some 640 people worked hard around the clock on June 9, the day of the event to ensure its success, she added.

All participants took their seats within 20 minutes, impressing Guinness’s representative, who said he did not see such organization in Alexandria and Ghana, which both staged the same event last year, al-Dada revealed.

The food was donated by various restaurants and food organizations.

Asked if Ajialouna plans to hold similar events in the future, al-Dada replied: “During the holy month, we provide iftar meals for 500 people every day, which is a tradition we have adopted for many years. We are definitely planning other projects that fulfill the same charity goal.”

The event was attended by people from orphanages, charity foundations and poor families, who were driven for free in buses to the location. Some 1,000 people arrived from Tripoli and the North, 1,000 from Aley and the surrounding region, 1,000 from Sidon and 2,000 from Beirut.

Served by 600 volunteers, they were treated to a meal of 10,000 roasted chickens, 5,600 meat pastries, 15,000 dates, as well as salads, rice dishes and the traditional “maamoul” dessert.