Students, faculty and the Wooster community attended a Ramadan dinner in Kittredge Dining Hall on Monday Sept. 6.† For those unfamiliar with this Muslim holiday, it is a time when Muslims across the world fast from sunrise until sunset for approximately 30 days.† While on a traditional solar calendar the date changes each year by moving back approximately ten days, on the Islamic lunar calendar the date says the same. Muslims celebrate Ramadan during the ninth month of their year because they believe that this was when the Qur’an was sent down from Allah in order to guide them. This year, Ramadan began on Aug. 12.
The Student Ambassador of Pakistan, Hanna Yousuf ’12, opened the event by acknowledging and thanking the sponsors of the dinner which were The Center for Diversity and Global Engagement, The Ambassadors Program, Office of Inter Faith Campus Ministries, Wooster Volunteer Network, NOOR and in association with Wooster Community Hospital’s GreenPoint Community Garden.† The attendants, which consisted of many faculty, students, and members of the community, then waited a few more minutes for the prayer to open the fast.† At approximately 7:56 p.m. (sundown) a small group of the audience went to pray after removing their shoes.† Men stood in front and the two women who participated in the prayer stood behind the men as directed.† The melodic prayer lasted five or six minutes, during which heads were bowed and occasionally kneeled to the ground to touch their forehead to the floor.† Once the prayer had ended, the attendants were then allowed to drink and eat to break their fast.
After the meal of falafel, chicken, pita, rice, and hummus, Yousuf again stood up to talk about her experience with Ramadan.† In Pakistan, where nearly everyone partakes in Ramadan, accommodations are made throughout the country for the 30 days of fasting.†† Some offices will close for part of the day in order to allow people to get some rest as they are unable to eat, drink, smoke, indulge in any addiction or engage in sexual activities.† Restaurants are closed throughout the day and are then open once the sun has set.† Yousuf shared that Ramadan is one of her favorite holidays because it brings her a feeling of spirituality and a connection to God from the fasting as well as a detoxification of oneself.† While Ramadan is a fasting holiday, it is still a festive one that brings family and friends together in order to break the fast.† The town which Yousuf lived in had over half the population living below the poverty line.† Because of this she said that her family and others would often help donate food and make sure that all who needed food received it.† Ramadan is a time to bring the community together through charity and making sure that all are able to break the fast at sundown.
Even in Pakistan, where recent floods have devastated the country, victims of the flood, along with those helping the victims, are still fasting.† The devotion of Ramadan has brought the country closer together during a natural disaster with the many Muslims devoted to the holiday.
The next speaker, Saif Ahmad ’12, who is the Student Ambassador of Jamaica, painted for us his experience of Ramadan in Jamaica.† While Pakistan is made up of nearly all Muslims, Ahmad stated that perhaps only five percent of Jamaicans are Muslim.† Because of this, Ramadan is not a nationally recognized holiday in the same way as in Pakistan.† Restaurants do not close, those working receive no break, and school goes on as before.† By being surrounded by those not fasting it makes it more difficult as Ahmad said that except for the occasional teacher who might pity him, all school work and after school sports and activities expected the same effort as when he was not fasting.† However, Ahmad believes that this is how the holiday should be celebrated as it is not supposed to be easy.
After both ambassadors had spoken, four other Wooster students (two were Reform Jews, one was Presbyterian, and one Slovak Reconstructionist, also known as Pagan) were invited to share how their religion is involved in community service.
While all students relayed their experiences with charity and volunteering, Harper Jocque ’12, who is a Slavic Reconstructionist/Pagan related an† englightning view that “compassion and loving make you give, not how much you pray.”
Although the Muslim religion has recently sparked debates across the U.S. and received much negative attention, it is important to remember that America was founded on many things, one of them being the freedom from religious persecution.† While America was attacked nearly nine years ago on Sept. 11, 2001, do not forget that it was a select few who did this, and not an entire religion.† At the dinner, Reverend Linda Morgan-Clement drew attention to a shocking fact that in Gainesville, Florida a local preacher has attempted to create an “International Burn a Koran Day” to be celebrated on Sept. 11.† In response to this, Reverend Morgan-Clement has created pins saying “Real Americans Don’t Burn Books” and invites students to join in a vigil to honor the victims of Sept. 11 and since that time. The vigil will be held Saturday, Sept. 11 at 9 p.m. in Lowry.