Ahlul Bayt (AS) International News Agency - ABNA: On the eve of Ghadeer, inside the largest tandoor house in Iran — located in the holy city of Qom — a unique gathering took place. Women from across the Islamic world, each carrying the best of their traditional cuisine, came together to showcase dishes prepared in traditional vessels, using time-honored methods passed down through generations. But the event, held under the spiritual shadow of Imam Reza's (as) teaching that feeding a believer on the day of Ghadeer is like feeding all the prophets and the truthful, was never only about food.
It was, as one participant described, a return to fitrah — to innate human nature. The organizers and attendees spoke openly about a cultural and spiritual battle: on one side, the fast-paced Western culture of pizza, burgers, plastic utensils, artificial colors, chemical-laden bread, microwaves, and eating on the go; on the other, the Islamic way of sitting calmly at a table, eating pure and wholesome food with tranquility, and living a sustainable, joyful life. "When food and clothing are traditional," one woman explained, "they naturally bring a sense of peace to other aspects of life, allowing us to live calmly, peacefully, and in the most natural way possible."
The connection between food and resistance was made explicit. "When the mind is healthy," she continued, "only then can we resist arrogance and oppression." The message was clear: what enters the body affects the spirit, and the spirit must be strong to stand against global injustice.
Among the dishes on display were connections that crossed borders. One attendee, Fatima Saani from Nigeria pointed to a North African dish made from ground wheat, noting its similarity to foods found elsewhere. She spoke of a dessert from Pakistan that was nearly identical to one from her own culture. "It promotes traditions and brings people closer to each other," she said. "You might see something similar to what exists in your own country, but you didn't know about it before. This leads to greater familiarity and more empathy."
The tandoor house itself, the first and largest of its kind in Iran, was opened in Qom specifically during the blessed days of Ghadeer. One speaker expressed hope that healthy, organic, blessed bread would reach the tables of all Iranians — and that this model would spread "like the resistance of Iranians all over the world." She added, "May clean bread, blessed bread, organic and healthy bread be on the table of all Muslims of the world, God willing."
As the event concluded, Zainab Askari - English Correspondent of ABNA summarized what had unfolded: "We saw them revive tradition, preserve heritage, promote health, and strengthen the spirit of resistance — all in one serving."
Women from across the Islamic world, gathered in a single place in Iran, had done more than cook. They had enacted a living interpretation of Ghadeer — feeding the believer, connecting cultures, rejecting the artificial speed of Western consumption, and affirming that a healthy mind and body are the foundation of resistance.
Zainab Askari along with the ABNA news team, reporting from Iran's Tandoor House, wished the Muslim world a blessed Ghadeer — with the aroma of traditional bread and the sight of sisters from every nation standing together around a single table.
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