I don’t personally know many Muslims or people who observe the holy month of Ramadan. I think that the people who follow Ramadan must have steadfast faith and a strong sense of community. It must be powerful to be praying and fasting at the same time as so many others around the world.

One of the members of the Bangor School Committee, Marwa Hassanien, opened up her home last year for a communal gathering to answer questions about the Islamic faith and Ramadan. It  is amazing that there are people like her in our area that have the willingness and desire to educate others. 

I did already know a little bit about Ramadan, such as, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, read the Quran and extend blessings to others during this time. Marwa explained that it is a time for forgiveness and reflections on blessings in life. She said that the “pinch of hunger” felt while fasting is a reminder about those who are less fortunate. She also compared her gathering to getting invited to friends’ Christmas or New Year’s parties. I liked how she described Ramadan as a time of “God consciousness.” 

After Ramadan, the three-day celebration with feasts and family gatherings is an important and joyful time of year. I know that students might be absent from school during these days. It is also important to recognize that during Ramadan, students are also fasting from water. They could be experiencing fatigue and lack of concentration as a result. They might also be tired because they are getting up earlier in order to eat before sunrise, and they might be up late praying. Every year these facts are shared with us as teachers so that we can be sensitive to the needs of fasting students. 

As I was writing this post, I took a break and was scrolling through social media. I thought it was funny that I was thinking about ways to be sensitive to fasting students, when I came across a recipe that I thought looked good. I was reading through the comments on the video, and one was from a woman that was just saying hello, and she mentioned that she was fasting for Ramadan. So while I am thinking about avoiding drinking in front of a fasting student, it does seem that others might be unbothered!

My daughter (junior in high school) said they learned about Ramadan during her advisory class. I asked Grace if she knows anyone who fasts, and she mentioned a friend that she hung out with recently. She said that her friend was trying to remember not to use “bad words.” Maybe that is one way that a teenager is experiencing that “God consciousness!” Although Ramadan is much different than Christmas, it does remind of the joyful feelings that people who celebrate it get during that time of year, and I get the sense that they share the same “peace on earth, goodwill toward men” feelings.

https://www.bangordailynews.com/2023/03/23/bangor/bangor-woman-ramadan-community-n6hjn1me0n/