Two longtime friends build cultural bridges in the West Island

Louie Dukovac and Salahuddin Mohamed have different religions — one’s Mormon, the other’s Muslim.

In what often wrecks many friendships, they differ on hockey — one likes Alex Ovechkin, the other, Sidney Crosby. But they both agree there isn’t an argument they can’t get over.

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It’s a friendship that has formed the nucleus of an interfaith iftar — or breaking of fast — that is occurring for the second straight year at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Kirkland.

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“It kind of unites the two communities,” said Mohamed. “They’re both like friends now.”

“They were in preschool, and during those years when they went to preschool they became friends,” said Jenell Dukovac, Louie’s mother.

“I have to admit,” she laughed, referring to Mohamed, “I could not say his name for a really long time.”

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Thanks to another friendship between Dukovac and Mohamed’s mother Fariha Naqvi-Mohamed, the interfaith iftar was born.

This year marks the second time it will happen at the Kirkland church between the two communities.

“The fact is, our friendship is really not a big deal for us,” she said. “I think that’s the biggest lesson here.”