Members of the Muslim Student Association shared activities and chatted with area children about the holy month of Ramadan at an event at the 51 Bookstore.
“We wanted to reach out to the Hamilton community and show the kids what Ramadan is about,” said Rifat Zaman ’10, co-president of the association.
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| Rifat Zaman ’10, co-president of the Muslim Student Association, helps children with a Ramadan project at the 51 Bookstore on Saturday. (Photo by Tim O’Keeffe) |
Parents and about 10 children gathered Saturday morning around Kaela Chow ’10 as she read Night of the Moon, a book by Pakistani-American author Hena Khan that explores the traditions and meanings of Ramadan.
“There is so much the public doesn’t know about our religion,” said Hassan Mohamed ’10. “It’s important to be able to learn how to appreciate other cultures, and that should begin when we are young.”
Members of the also helped the children decorate stars and moons and talked with them about foods traditionally eaten after a day of fasting.
Heather Elia, administrative assistant at the Bookstore, helped the group organize the event in the Class of 2003 Events Room.
Ramadan, which began Sept. 1, is observed by more than one billion Muslims around the world. It is a time for spiritual purification achieved through fasting, self-sacrifice and prayers.
In addition to their regular meetings, Muslim Student Association members are occasionally coming together on campus to pray and share Iftar, the evening meal for breaking the daily fast.
The group is working with the university’s Interfaith Council on ways to reach out to the campus community during the next few weeks.
Mohammed said the group wants to invite others to fast with them, for part of a day, to experience some of what Muslims are doing during this major religious celebration.
“I get questions from other students about why I’m not eating,” he said. “This might be one way to help explain why and what it is for.”
On Oct. 3, the organization will hold a banquet celebrating Eid, the holiday marking the end of the Ramadan. The 5:30 p.m. event will be in the Hall of Presidents, and members of the community are invited to attend.