An imam has released a spray on western Sydney’s famous Ramadan night markets, calling them the ‘new Kings Cross’ – the city’s famed party district.
The imam, who publishes on TikTok under the name ‘Iman Boost’, shared a video on the platform on Monday titled ‘a must listen for all Western Sydney Muslims’.
“Have you seen in our communities what Ramadan has become now?” he says to the camera.
“It has become this nightlife. It has become this… WallahiLakemba has become the new King’s Cross.’
Every year during the month of Ramadan – when Muslims commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad – food markets are held nightly on Haldon Street in Lakemba, Sydney’s southwest.
Muslims spend the day fasting from sunrise before having their first meal, known as Iftar, at sunset.
Many celebrate breaking their fast at a plethora of stalls on Haldon Street where chefs prepare dishes from Middle Eastern Pakistani and Indian cuisine.
Camel, beef, and chicken burgers are on offer, as well as desserts such as the famous Lebanese sweet Knafe, the traditional Middle Eastern baklava, homemade churros, chocolate-covered strawberries and marshmallows, and the festival favorite, fairy floss.
The markets have become increasingly popular over the past decade and are expected to attract more than a million people this year from both Muslim and non-Muslim backgrounds.
Crowds gathered on Haldon Street in Lakemba on Friday evening as families enjoyed the hot food offered by the stalls
A street chef works a storm behind the stove on Haldon Street in Lakemba, Sydney’s southwest
Canterbury Bankstown Mayor Khal Asfour pointed out it was more than expected at the Sydney Royal Easter Show.
“We are delighted that the state government has recognized the importance of this event, which not only means so much to our community, but also to the abundance of tourists who come from all over Australia,” said Mr Asfour.
However, there is growing criticism of the festival’s popularity.
In the video, the Imam explained what he meant by Lakemba as the new King’s Cross.
“You know in the ’90s and the ’80s in the ’70s… Where do you go to party?” he said.
‘You’re going to King’s Cross. No, now we have the new King’s Cross and it’s called Lakemba. It’s the buzz, it’s the place to be. Is it haram to be there? Wallahi it is not haram.’
The Imam becomes more and more animated as he beats his chest and adds, “But I ask you, is that what Allah wants?”
He then mocks people who “line up for 45 minutes to eat an ass in a burger.”
Then the imam criticizes the presence of non-Muslims in the markets.
“So the nightlife – and brother, even the non-Muslims get involved,” he says.
‘Do you think the non-Muslims are coming because wallah do they learn about Allah? And we’ve been fooled.’
Men, women and children from Muslim and non-Muslim backgrounds treated themselves to an array of hot dishes from the stalls on Friday night
Muslims spend the day fasting from sunrise before having their first meal, known as Iftar, at sunset
The video is titled: ‘Not halal or haram? But are you doing more good than bad by being there?’
However, not every viewer agreed with him.
A TikTok user said there was “good” in the markets.
Muslims united from all over Sydney. Non-Muslims appreciate our community after years of harmful stereotypes,” they wrote.
But the Imam is not alone in being critical of what the markets have become.
Mostafa Rachwani, reporter at The Guardian, said: ‘The Lakemba Ramadan markets are more about gentrification than anything else’.
“There is an implicit understanding in the Muslim community that without recognizing the sanctity of Ramadan, these markets reduce Islam and Muslims to something consumable,” he wrote on Twitter.
He added: “Many media outlets are taking advantage of the financial success to tell stories of cultural exchange, when in reality these spaces have been stripped of any sense of Muslimness. This is how minorities have always been reported – demonized or reduced to food.’
Mostafa Rachwani, reporter at The Guardian, criticized the gentrification of the Lakemba Ramadan Markets
Mr Rachwani shared an article in which he spoke with some entrepreneurs and market vendors in the area.
Fauzan Ahmad, the manager of Darussalam bookstore in Lakemba, deplored the commercialization of the market.
“It went from a few hundred people on the road to tens of thousands of people, and the number of people is great, but it’s not a Muslim event anymore,” he said. The protector.
‘There is simply no longer an Islamic ethos that frames the festival. It used to be about our prayers, people stopped praying and went out.
“Now the council sets the time and the streets are full, regardless of prayer times.”