Ramadan for Allies to Muslims
Nearly two billion Muslims around the globe recently observed Ramadan. Ramadan ends at Eid, which is celebrated on June 3, 4, or 5, depending on the country and who you ask.
Ramadan is a time for Muslims to rejuvenate their spirituality and to connect with community. Traditionally Muslims fast, consuming no food or drink from just before dawn to sunset, and break the day-long fast with iftar, a meal after sunset with family and friends.
Of course, how people observe Ramadan varies, because two billion people are diverse. Some people observe it traditionally; others may skip a meal or go without food but not liquids; others attend a nightly iftar. Some Muslims I know complain about gaining weight during Ramadan because of the nightly feasting with loved ones.
THOUGHTS FOR ALLIES
It is important for us as allies to discharge about Ramadan. What would it be like for us to go all day without food or water? What would it take for us to set up our lives so that we could wake up before the first ray of light, typically around 4:30 a.m., to have breakfast? What would it be like to have a nightly feast with our community? We can take any fascination or worry into sessions rather than acting it out at Muslims.
It’s not helpful to ask Muslims questions about how they manage to go all day without food or water, or what is hardest for them about Ramadan. Because of Islamophobia, we have a tendency to see Muslims as victims rather than as empowered and delighted people who are just as dynamic and irreverent as we are.
If we have the attention to listen, we might ask what they love most about Ramadan, or Eid. What are their favorite memories of celebrating Eid as a child?
Small acts can be helpful. For example, if we have Muslims in our class or support group who are fasting, we might consider moving the meeting to their house or somewhere else closer to them, so that they can conserve energy.
We could consider not drinking or eating in front of Muslims, as a way of being thoughtful. This could mean going into a different room to have a drink of water or eating our lunch in a different place. If we have a coworker who is fasting, perhaps we could join them during their lunch hour without eating, maybe sit outside under a tree to chat, and find another time to have our lunch.
Los Angeles, California, USA
Reprinted from the RC e-mail discussion list for leaders
of South, Central, and West Asian-heritage people