23 August 2010
An Iftar for Everyone
Washington’s Ramadan celebrations are as varied as its Muslim community
Washington — The sun goes down, and in a mosque in one Washington, D.C., neighborhood, people eat dates and then begin the evening prayer. In an apartment in northern Virginia, friends gather for a meal. In restaurants, in college dormitory rooms and in homes across the metropolitan area, people come together to break the daily fast and observe iftar.
Welcome to the month of Ramadan in Washington, where the area’s active Muslim community makes sure there are plenty of ways to celebrate their faith’s holiest time of year.
“In D.C., there’s stuff going on every single night,” says Mannal Bakhsh, who has lived in the area her entire life. “You don’t have to go to a mosque. You can go to a friend’s house; you can go to a restaurant.”
Ramadan began August 11 for the world’s 1.5 billion Muslims.
Muslims believe Ramadan is the month in which the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad more than 1,400 years ago, and use it as a time for spiritual reflection and self-discipline.
Fasting every day for an entire month isn’t easy, especially with Ramadan falling in August, which in Washington makes for a long day. As many as 14 hours pass between sunrise and sunset on some of the hottest and most humid days of the year in the Washington area. But Muslims stress that there’s more to Ramadan than fasting. For many, it’s a time to give back. Those who do not fast — because of age, illness, pregnancy or other health reasons — commit to feed another person for the entire month. Several local Muslim groups have held fundraising iftars in the past few weeks, with proceeds going to aid victims of the catastrophic flooding in Pakistan.
The fast “just kind of comes with the territory,” said Sarrah AbuLughod, who was born in Saudi Arabia, grew up in Wisconsin and now lives in Washington. “When people realize that the fast isn’t from just food and drink, and more an experiment in self-control and focus, it becomes less about hunger and appetite. Regardless, though, it is brutal when a co-worker pops a bag of popcorn.”
Despite living and working among people who are not fasting, most find that the multicultural nature of Washington makes it an inviting place to observe Ramadan.
“I feel in D.C. — wearing a scarf, being a Muslim — people are more open,” said Bushra Zartasht, who previously lived in Norway. “I was so surprised I could find [traditional Iftar food including] dates at the normal [supermarket].”
And even though Ramadan is typically a time dominated by family, Washington’s large number of young Muslims — many living away from their homes and relatives — ensure that no one is left out.
“There are many people here without their families, so the iftar gatherings end up being many young people gathering and very few little kids running underfoot, which is very different from any other community I’ve been in,” said AbuLughod, who has lived in Washington for three years. “The hustle and bustle of Ramadan here is unique.”
The diversity of the area’s Muslim community also means that regardless of personal traditions, there is an iftar for everyone. Lindsey Stephenson, a former Fulbright scholar who lived in Kuwait in 2007 and 2008, takes part in two iftars each week that are hosted by different groups. On Tuesday night, it’s a women-only gathering. On Wednesdays, she attends iftar with a co-educational group called the D.C. Quran Halaqa, which includes people from many different ethnic, cultural, sectarian and professional backgrounds.
“Both of these are groups of young American Muslims in their 20s and 30s, and I think many of us feel like this is the beginning of truly a homegrown American Muslim community that really sees itself as independent from the culture-fused Islam of new immigrants,” Stephenson said.
Teddy Galloway, who converted to Islam in 2009, said his first Ramadan, spent in San Diego training Marines, was tough. It was hot. He worked 12-hour days. And he was fasting alone. But he stuck it out.
Now living in Virginia, he hosts a meet-up group for other Muslims that has nearly 50 members, and also encourages non-Muslim friends to try fasting and celebrate iftar with him. “I don’t have a family to fast with,” he said, “so I invite people to fast with me.”
Galloway said that as a newer member of the faith, his view of the Muslim community is probably different from that of people who grew up with its traditions. But in the end, Ramadan is about a sense of togetherness.
“It feels good to be a part of something that so many people, regardless of their differences, come together to do,” he said.
Read more about American Muslims during Ramadan.
(This is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://www.america.gov)
