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Muslim students from three Fairfax County high schools gathered at Langley High School on Thursday, March 12, for an interschool iftar as Ramadan approached its final days.

McLean High School’s Muslim Student Association organized the event with Langley’s MSA and Arab Student Association and the MSA at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. Students came together to break their daily fast at sunset and share an evening centered on faith, reflection and community.

Brother Ali, a guest speaker, opened the program by discussing the spiritual significance of Ramadan’s final 10 days and nights. Students later gathered for sunset prayer before eating together.

McLean sophomore Adil Ahmed Shaik, the school’s MSA prayer coordinator, said Ramadan is an important period for gratitude, reflection and sharing with others. Experiencing it alongside classmates and friends made the gathering particularly meaningful, he said, while the food and conversations created a joyful, welcoming atmosphere.

The participating student organizations spent considerable time coordinating food, promotion and other logistics. Langley MSA President Zeinab Mallick said bringing the three schools together required extensive planning, but seeing the event take shape made the effort worthwhile.

McLean has worked with MSAs at Langley, Madison and Woodson high schools on iftar gatherings since last year. McLean MSA President Nadia Mansourian said such events help students support one another, build unity and create spaces where people can meet and appreciate different perspectives.

For Mallick, the evening’s standout moment came when she saw students from all three schools eating, laughing and getting acquainted around the same room. She said that connection was precisely what organizers hoped to foster and expressed hope that the gathering will return annually and continue strengthening ties among the schools’ MSAs.