April 1991, Page 69a

Islam in America

By Dima Zalatimo

Observing Ramadan

Itaf Dawoud, a Palestinian mother of four, cried the first day of the holy month of Ramadan, in mid-March of this year. A 15-year resident of Kuwait, she and her family were caught outside the country during the Iraqi invasion. Observing Ramadan in Albuquerque, NM, where her family has relocated, is a far cry from the festive night-time family meals and pious daytime fasting that characterize the month in Muslim countries.

"It was so depressing not to hear the words 'Allahu Akbar' over the loud speakers throughout the city, not having my relatives and friends nearby, or a mosque across the street from my house," said the American educated Jerusalemite, who dresses in traditional Islamic attire.

Dawoud used to divide her Ramadan days between a religious school discussing Islamic issues and her home preparing traditional Ramadan dishes. After the sunset fast-breaking meal (iftar), she and her neighbors would walk to the mosque to the sound of the prayer call (adan), to perform congregational prayers (taraweeh). Her children would also pray at the mosque and then play outside or watch special Ramadan programming on TV. Meanwhile, her husband would go to a coffeehouse to meet with friends over a water pipe (argeeleh) and a cup of tea.

Later at night, she and her husband might visit friends and relatives or go shopping at Kuwaiti stores, which stayed open until 2 am during the holy month. The rest of the night was spent praying, reading the Qur'an or watching TV. It is halal, or favored, for Muslims to complete the entire reading of the Qur'an during Ramadan. Just before sunrise, the Dawouds would wake up their children to eat suhour and perform morning prayers.

In Albuquerque, there are very few Muslim families, the mosque is too far away to frequent daily, and her husband is in Europe pursuing business interests for his Kuwaiti employer. Dawoud says her children, ages 9 to 17, find it difficult to fast during the long school sessions which, in Kuwait, used to be shortened during Ramadan.

"The most important aspect of Ramadan, the collective atmosphere where everybody is fasting, practicing self-control and restraint, and thinking of God and the poor, is lost here," said Dawoud. "I want to invite all the Muslims in Albuquerque for iftar so that we come together as a community."

In Ann Arbor, Michigan, home to a much larger Muslim community, Aida Shihadeh, a Syrian-American who has lived in the US for 22 years, says the local mosque plays an important role during Ramadan. Families send meals to the mosque, where many college students and single Ann Arbor residents go to break their fast. Shihadeh says the mosque also acts as a support network for Muslims during Ramadan. The Arab community of Ann Arbor holds a weekly potluck iftar to bring people together—an American twist to a Muslim tradition.

Traditions Important for Children

Nadia Hidaya, an Egyptian-born mother of two and consultant for the Ann Arbor Public School System (AAPSS), says she feels that preserving the traditions of Ramadan are most important for children.

"We grew up with the boom of cannons firing to signal the sunset, the sound of the adan, and the drumbeat of the msaharati waking us up to eat suhour before the sun rises," she says. "Our children are deprived of those traditions."

Hidaya started training her children, Mona, age 15, and Sherif, age 13, to fast at the age of six. When they grew older, she explained to them the religious significance of Ramadan, which is much more than abstaining from food or water, sunrise to sunset.

"Ramadan is also cultural and traditional," noted Hidaya. "It is a parent's job to instill these customs in their children, who are growing up in non-Muslim societies, and to make them proud of their backgrounds."

Her son, Sherif, accompanies his father to the mosque to perform taraweeh prayers. At home, the iftar meal is typical of that served in the Arab world: an apricot drink, lentil soup, sambousiq (meat pies), dates and a main meal. For desert there are atayef, pancakes stuffed with sweet cheese and fried, a dish synonymous with Ramadan in most Arab countries.

As the end-of-Ramadan holiday (Eid) approaches, Hidaya makes special sweets for the Eid called ka 'ik wa mammoul, small date and nut cakes, which are also traditional holiday sweets. She buys her children new clothes to wear on Eid day, another holiday tradition.

As an educator, she recently compiled a set of guidelines for teachers of the AAPSS with fasting Muslim students in their classes.

"I recommend that fasting students be exempted from strenuous physical activity, that instructional activities be arranged for them at lunch time and that aptitude exams not be administered during this month," explained Hidaya. "Many teachers are already sensitive to the needs of Muslim students."

Despite the awareness, it is difficult for school children to fast because they are also expected to maintain their daily routines.

"Exams, homework and long school days make it more difficult for our children to fast than it was for us as children in Egypt," says Hidaya. "There everybody is fasting and schools make special provisions for the month."

Dima Zalatimo is features editor of the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs.