文艺【28】Community Connection, Personal Growth During Ramadan

Original littleflute 漂泊者乐园 2021-10-05

ARTS & CULTURE

Community Connection, Personal Growth During Ramadan

Attendees at the first Black Iftar event, held in Chicago and hosted by Samira Abderahman. (Photo courtesy of Samira Abderahman)

Attendees mingling at the first Black Iftar event, held in Chicago and hosted by Samira Abderahman.

Connecting Communities

As Eid nears, many Muslims in the United States look back on the goals they had and what they learned this month. For Samira Abderahman, a goal for her this Ramadan was bringing communities together.

Samira Abderahman, the host of the first ever Black Iftar event, held in Chicago.

Looking inward and quality connections

Makkah Ali, co-host and Executive Producer of the "Identity Politics" podcast.

Makkah Ali lives in Washington, D.C. She serves as executive producer of a podcast called Identity Politics. The show examines stories and opinions about race, gender, and Muslim life in America.

During Ramadan, Ali and her co-host Ikhlas Saleem produced a podcast that explored different parts of Islam and how people observing Ramadan could follow them.

For Ali, her goals for this Ramadan were more related to prayer and making quality connections with the important people in her life.

“I think we live in a very isolationist society, where individualism and doing what you want, when you want how you want... is such a strong American value. But I think what that can often leads to is…being isolated from other people.”

During Ramadan, Ali set aside time to spend with her friends and family. She said this helped her develop deeper connections.

“Human beings want connection”, she said, adding that part of what makes us human is our ability to connect with each other.

Makkah Ali and Ikhlas Saleem, co-hosts of the podcast "Identity Politics."

Beyond what you think is possible

Nada Zahody, another Washingtonian, is the director of Open Gov Hub, an alliance of 40 mostly non-governmental 40 groups.. She told VOA that this was the first year she played a soccer game while fasting. “It wasn’t my strongest game, but I survived,” she said.

Soccer, or football, was not Zahody’s goal for Ramadan. For her, the month is a time of self-improvement. She said her experience helps to show how people can rise up and do more than they think they are able to.

Holding a mirror to my heart

Noreen Nasir works as a reporter in Washington. She said, “This year I was a little more free-flowing with how I approached the month.” But she said, she did make a change over the month in her way of thinking. She said she worked on improving her behavior.

“Really trying to hold a mirror up to my heart and my soul and seeing how I could change.

Attendees at the first Black Iftar event, held in Chicago, breaking for prayer.

Nasir added that she developed a better sense of confidence in her identity. In the past, Nasir said, she often felt the need to explain why she was fasting or doing things differently during Ramadan. But this year she was able to, in her words, “let go and not worry about the messages I was giving.”

For Nasir, the community plays a very large part in the Ramadan experience. “I don’t think I would be able to get through the long days of not eating or drinking and being low on sleep without the support network around me.”

She also said that many non-Muslim friends were supportive of her experience during Ramadan this year. She added, “The focus on spiritual connectivity and community and connection with other people is what makes Ramadan so great.

I'm Caty Weaver.

Phil Dierking reported this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

Do you have any friends who observe Ramadan? How was their experience? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

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