Khaled Ishaq, a member of the Muslim Students Association, said he feels Ramadan is a spiritual, physical and moral exercise.
“It’s a month of charity,” Ishaq said. “You should give as much as you can to the poor.”
A discussion tonight, “Celebrating Diversity in Islam,” will give students the opportunity to learn about Muslims around the world and the month of Ramadan, as well.
The discussion begins at 6 p.m. in the International Lounge of the EMU and will feature Muslim speakers from around the world, Ishaq said. The discussion is sponsored by MSA and the Office of International Programs, and will highlight different ways in which Muslims around the world observe Ramadan.
Ishaq said the discussion will be an
informal presentation about how people pursue their lives as Muslims around the world and their different cultures,
traditions and practices. It will also provide non-Muslims with a different perspective compared to the perceptions
generated by the media, he said.
OIP Associate Director Magid Shirzadegan agrees. “This is one more opportunity to see it from a different angle,” he said.
Shirzadegan said this kind of discussion could help break down stereotypes and negative perceptions of Muslims. He said he hopes students who have questions about Islam will feel free to attend the meeting and ask their questions without holding back.
The discussion will also offer information about Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting. Ramadan begins each year with the first sighting of the ninth crescent moon. This year, Muslims in Eugene began their fast Nov. 7, after the moon was seen Nov. 6, said Lejla Filipovic, a member of MSA.
Muslims are supposed to abstain from food and drink between dawn and dusk during Ramadan, but the experience is more than the physical act of fasting, Filipovic said.
“It’s the whole concept of doing the right thing,” she said.
Ishaq said fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam. The other pillars are a declaration of faith, daily prayers, charity and a pilgrimage to Mecca.
Those who are required to fast include the mature, the sane and the healthy, Filipovic said.
“I personally feel that I have to fast,” she said “It’s required of me because I’m healthy. It’s a very disciplined and humble experience.”
She said Muslims tend to socialize less or stay at home with their families when fasting during the day. They hold gatherings at mosques in the evening. Ramadan ends with Eid al-Fitr, a celebration in which families and communities gather to break the fast, she said.
Ishaq said fasting can be difficult in non-Muslim countries and even more difficult as a student, but he views the month as a time to reform oneself and to become a better human being. He added the fast is less difficult this year, because the days are shorter in November than in the summer.
“The environment is different in every country,” said Filipovic. However, the essence of fasting doesn’t change, she said. Muslims fast for the same reasons.
The discussion will feature Muslim speakers from Africa, China, Turkey, Malaysia, the Middle East and the United States. After the event, guests can socialize with Muslim students and their families.