Annual Ramadan Gathering
On 13 March 2026, the Bseisu Foundation hosted its annual Iftar gathering to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan. We came together at Yalla Yalla, a cosy and beautifully lit Lebanese restaurant tucked just behind Oxford Street.
The word Ramadan (رَمَضَان) takes its name from an Arabic root meaning “scorching heat,” though the early March evening in London was anything but. Yet as guests arrived and began to share Iftar, the atmosphere soon became warm and welcoming.
Our CEO, Advisory Board members, and team were delighted to welcome current scholars and alumni - many of whom had travelled long distances from their universities across the UK. We were also joined by friends of the Foundation, as well as partners from universities and organisations who continue to support our mission.
Co-Founder and CEO Amjad opened the evening’s speeches by acknowledging the weight carried by many students in the midst of events unfolding at home and in the wider region, all the while continuing and excelling in their studies. He expressed deep admiration for the scholars’ resilience and spoke of the Foundation’s honour in being part of their journeys. Amjad concluded with a heartfelt reflection on what Ramadan teaches us: patience, compassion and responsibility towards one another.
We were honoured to host Labour MP Mr James Asser and His Excellency Husam Zomlot, Palestinian Ambassador to the UK, who, in an important and energising speech, drew on the vital role that education has played and continues to play in shaping the future of Palestine and the wider Levant region. The Ambassador deplored and lamented the deliberate destruction by Israel of Palestine’s schools and universities - acts often described as ‘educide’, which violate fundamental rules of international law.
Executive Director Jezerca Tigani closed the speeches with a moving account of her upbringing in communist Albania - then the world’s first constitutionally atheist state - where religious practices, institutions and expression were outlawed and harshly punished. She shared a tender anecdote of her grandmother, a Muslim woman, who, despite her faith being forbidden, continued to practise quietly and privately. ‘Without words or explanations,’ Jezerca shared, ‘my grandmother taught us that Ramadan is a time for gratitude, reflection and connection.’ Her testimony served as a reminder that the essence of Ramadan transcends circumstance and continues to bring people together in community, understanding and hope.