Festival showcases food, faith, community

The Islamic Society of South Texas held its third annual International Food Festival on Feb. 27 in Corpus Christi.

“Our hope is to open ourselves to the larger community,” said Nedal Shheber, Del Mar College instructor of engineering. Shheber has been assisting with the festival since year one and hopes to fight the negative views society has about Islam through the festivities.

Each year the society holds the festival at Abul Qasim Masjid (mosque) on McArdle Road. The festival showcases traditional food from Middle Eastern countries including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, India and many more.

Shheber has two sons, Ahmed and Abdulrhman, whom he and his wife try to keep custom alive through.

“We dress them in traditional outfits and try our best to infuse our culture with the American culture. It’s important for our children to understand their heritage,”Shheber said.

The festival featured a bazaar, health fair and parade of children representing different cultures.

The festival is held around February of each year. For more information on the society or next year’s festival, visit www.facebook.com/ ISSTFestival or call 361-992-8550.

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