Observed by Muslims, the holy
month of Ramadan sets forth a
month of fasting, spiritual reflection
and personal growth. Muslims are
intrinsically joined together by
group prayers, shared meals and
charitable
activities,
propelling
the meaning of Ramadan through
connectedness.
Exemplifying
this connectedness is Dearborn,
Mich., one of the largest Muslim
communities in the U.S.
Encapsulating
the
unique
experience that is Ramadan in
Dearborn is difficult; in broadest
terms,
Dearborn
becomes
its
most
vibrant version of itself showcasing
diversity
and
connectedness.
Restaurants extend their hours
(some even until 5 a.m.), mosques
become
filled
with
people
praying and socializing, young
entrepreneurs open food stands,
community members rally together
for charitable causes and gratitude
becomes inherent.
When asked what motivated
him to start a food stand during
last Ramadan, Business sophomore
Adam Bazzi responded, “Growing
up in Dearborn, I’ve had the luxury
of being able to enjoy Ramadan in a
way that not many other Muslims
around the country can say they
have, and what really drove us to
open our stand was to add to that
uniqueness through connecting our
community in a meaningful way.”
With social distancing in full
effect, the Dearborn community will
have to redefine what community
connectedness means during this
unprecedented Ramadan.
“Community
connectedness
will no longer exist through shared
meals, bonfires, festivals and food
stands, but come from the fact that
we will be social distancing and
fasting together,” LSA senior, Silan
Fadlallah said.
Last
Ramadan,
more
than
12,000
people
attended
the
annual Ramadan Suhoor Festival,
which was created by community
members to combine Suhoor, the
pre-dawn meal Muslims have each
day before fasting, with charity.
Social distancing has canceled the
community gathering component
of the Ramadan Suhoor Festival
but their pillar of charity lives
on through their current work.
Currently,
the
organizers
of
the festival are utilizing their
platform to gather donations for
N95 face masks for local hospitals
and funeral homes in Dearborn.
More than 12,000 masks will be
distributed this upcoming week.
Hassan Chami, founder of the
Ramadan Suhoor Festival, wants
to inspire community members to
invest in their spirituality.
“Ramadan will definitely be
different this year, and will be
one to remember. With Ramadan
approaching
us
during
these
uncommon times, God has created
a platform for us to build a stronger
and more spiritual relationship
with him by limiting our normal
worldly distractions,” Chami said.
“For this reason, I hope to take
advantage of this Ramadan as we
don’t know if we’ll ever have a time
like this again.”
With
a
new
definition
of
community connectedness, there
comes the question, “where are
Muslims left spiritually?” LSA
freshman
Noor
Moughni,
a
columnist on Michigan in Color,
reflected on how she will continue
her spiritual journey while social
distancing.
“The time I would’ve spent
waiting in line at Bohemian Bowls,
bonding with others over how
amazing the almond butter there
is, I will now spend on my prayer
rug, exploring my spirituality and
the complexities of faith,” Moughni
said. “Ramadan this year will be my
time to realign my beliefs. A time to
escape the confusion of the world
and confide in God. I look forward
to a month devoted to reflection and
self-improvement. I look forward to
an isolated Ramadan.”
Dearborn’s experience with this
year’s Ramadan is a microcosm of
what the greater Muslim world will
be facing. Despite the community
isolation Muslims worldwide will
experience, the true essence of
Ramadan will prevail: A reminder
to Muslims that all is temporary and
that faith transcends all adversities
—
even
a
global
pandemic.
Muslims will be able to experience
spirituality in its truest form:
isolated.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Michigan in Color
Monday, April 20, 2020 — 4
MALAK WAZNE /Wikimedia Commons
12,000 people attended the 2019 Ramadan Suhoor Festival, held annually in Dearborn, Mich.
MAYA KADOUH
MiC Columnist
HIBA DAGHER
MiC Columnist
UNSPLASH
An isolated Ramadan
My family,
rose from the mud
to make matters more pleasant for me.
From my environment,
I cultivated primal instincts
and learned about survivability.
The king of our jungle had
an igneous spirit.
Still I’ve come to learn that powers exist,
which could move mountains.
This seemed impossible,
I grew up idolizing the posture of a rock:
the immovable object, the unaffected entity.
Some things are above me and not
because they’re heavenly;
but I miss when that meant,
the vast never ending sky.
I try to understand the underhanded
movements which control society.
Silently sliding my environment’s tectonics,
unbeknownst to them this would leave my life
reminiscent of the ground zero of
a nuclear bombing.
We lived from the earth and paid the country’s dues,
worked hard to be polished people,
doing what we had to do
to get through.
Lived off the earth,
we bonded by nurturing its creatures,
prepping grain in exchange for early morning melodies.
Unable to fulfill the hollow feeling
“they”
have left me with me,
unlike the deciduous tree who deals with ICE
in a seasonal stride.
But the sun will shine tomorrow and today
just as it did yesterday.
Together forever and never we stray.
‘Gallo de Oro’
ROBERTO SANCHEZ
MiC Columnist
A reading list to celebrate Arab Heritage Month (and beyond)
In case you didn’t know, what
with the whole global pandemic
and everything, we’re right in the
middle of Arab Heritage Month!
In the U.S., April is dedicated to
celebrating the rich history, culture
and contemporary voices of Arabs
and Arab Americans. And what
better way to celebrate than with
new reading material!
For the poets:
Water and Salt
by Lena Khalaf Tuffaha
Lena Khalaf Tuffaha’s debut
collection of poetry, “Water and
Salt” gives a voice for those (past,
present and future) who have been
forever marred by displacement
from their home country. It explores
loss, suffering and unimaginable
pain, but also strength, defiance,
resilience and determination. It’s a
gorgeous collection of poetry and a
forever recommendation.
For those who love fantasy:
The Map of Salt and Stars
by Zeyn Joukhader
In
Zeyn
Joukhader’s
debut
novel, he takes readers on a
beautiful journey that follows the
parallel stories of Nour, a young
Syrian girl who flees her homeland
and travels across North Africa
with her family, and Rawiya, a
12th-century
adventurer
who
disguises herself as a boy in order
to apprentice herself to a famous
mapmaker.
For those who love fantasy:
Sitt Marie Rose by Etal Adnan
Sitt Marie Rose is one of those books
that, once you start reading, you can’t
put it down. Set before and during the
Lebanese Civil War, the novel creates
a split between West and East Beirut,
Muslim and Christian, Lebanese,
Syrian and Palestinian, and explores
how all of these variables interacted
with one another during the Civil War.
Adnan critiques sexism, xenophobia
and the idea that a single person can
speak for all the people in Lebanon.
For the feminist:
Him Me and Muhammad Ali
by Randa Jarrar
Randa Jarrar is a writer, memoirist,
and comedian sharing her experience
as a Muslim American born of
Egyptian and Palestinian parents.
SAnd she’s not only an incredible
writer, but she’s a Michigan alum
too! Her work is biting, funny, and
brilliantly honest. If you end up falling
in love with this collection of short
stories, you should definitely check out
her debut novel, A Map of Home.