By Marisa Young | Reporter
As Ramadan approaches this year, students are spending more time and dedication in mourning and remembrance.
Ramadan, which will last from Feb. 28 to March 29, is a season in which Muslims practice fasting from dawn to dusk. According to Paris sophomore Layla Shafiq, this fasting is typically from food and drink, but Muslims can also choose to give up additional things. The experience of Ramadan is to further one’s relationship with God and to practice gratitude and charity.
According to Shafiq, while Ramadan is typically a season of celebration, this year it carries a more “solemn” undertone.
“We fast from sunrise to sunset, and essentially, that’s to remember what God has given you as opposed to people who may be less fortunate,” Shafiq said. “With the war in Palestine right now, it’s just evermore present.”
By partaking in the cultural practice of fasting this season, Shafiq said she feels an extra level of connection with those who are suffering in Gaza currently.
“Of course, we’re thinking of the people in Palestine who don’t really have that option; they are starving day after day,” Shafiq said.
Houston junior Susan Ismaili said she hopes that despite their circumstances, Palestinians find comfort during this season by focusing on their relationship with God.
“Fasting, in a way, brings you closer to your religion,” Ismaili said. “I think the people in Gaza may feel a little more at peace whenever they are fasting during Ramadan.”
For those practicing Muslims who are far away from the violence, Ismaili said the practices of prayer and charity ought to be amplified in light of the war.
“Last Ramadan I felt terrible and believe most of the other Muslim population did as well because the people of Gaza and the Palestinians have been going through this famine and this genocide,” Ismaili said. “We need to do our best to donate as much as we can and to pray for everyone in need.”
Since this is her first year fasting apart from her family, Ismaili said she is experiencing some “homesickness” during this holiday. She allows this feeling to draw her closer to those who have lost their homes in Gaza, as well as the Muslim community she has found at Baylor. As a civic leader for Better Together, Ismaili has worked with her community to help provide resources for Muslim students.
“We’re doing something called Ramadan boxes in the Penland Market and Memorial Dining Hall,” Ismaili said. “I asked a bunch of Muslim friends and a bunch of North African, Middle Eastern, South Asian friends for recipe recommendations.”
These Ramadan boxes will be available beginning Friday for all students participating in Ramadan. Additionally, Better Together meets Tuesdays at 6 p.m. in Martin House and would like to offer support or additional resources to students celebrating Ramadan during this time.
