Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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August 22, 2009

America's Muslims Celebrate Holy Month of Ramadan
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=2627C43:A6F02AD83191E16058A63168CCDB2FBAF47489ACC27D21EE&
 
Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins on August 22; celebration includes
dawn-to-dusk fasting with time-honored rituals 
As the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins on August 22, Muslim
Americans are observing it in many ways. American Muslims celebrate
Ramadan American Muslims of diverse national backgrounds are coming
together to worship. They will break their dawn-to-dusk fast -for a
whole month - in Islamic centers and in their homes across the country.
Imam Abdulla Khouj is president of the Islamic Center in Washington,
DC."People from all over the world gather in one place and all do feel
one people regardless of the distances and regardless of the
geographical areas," he said. Regardless of national origin, Ramadan is
observed with rituals that bridge those differences. Families shop for
foods that have been prepared especially for Ramadan. They prepare Iftar
meals that break the daily fast and they pray together. Nadia Rachid
immigrated to the US from Morocco. She misses the big Ramadan gatherings
in her home country. "There is a big difference. Here you do not have
extended family, and so instead of having 10 people around the table,
there is only the two of us," she said. Her husband, Mohamed Ibrahim,
says it's easy to observe Ramadan in America even though most people
around him are not fasting. "Because it is my duty to fast it does not
matter what everybody else is doing," he explained. With an estimated
seven million American Muslims, Islamic centers and mosques are
thriving. Imam Hassan Qazwini directs the Islamic Center of America in
Dearborn, Michigan. He says the center has a special program during
Ramadan that focuses on the Holy Koran. Muslims believe God revealed it
to the Prophet Muhammed in the 7th century AD."Every night, after the
nightly prayers, the Islamic Center will hold a special session that
consists of recitation of the Holy Koran, the interpretation of the
Koran, as well as some other lectures," he said. He says the center also
takes advantage of Ramadan to teach non-Muslim Americans about the
Islamic faith. "I have invited Christian and Jewish leaders for the
Iftar to share the peaceful an
d serene atmosphere of the month of Ramadan with us," he added. During
Ramadan, Muslim Americans hold open houses at mosques and Islamic
centers. And they organize interfaith Iftars. Amina Tambouch is an
American Muslim from Senegal. She says Muslims here adapt their busy
schedules to make room for Ramadan. "Everyone will cook some food and
brings it and we all will eat together, pray together and we talk about
the Muslim religion, and we teach each other," she said. "And at work we
go to pray together around lunchtime."American Muslims have to adjust
observing Ramadan to the beat of American life. However Ramadan gives
American Muslims from different backgrounds a sense of unity as an
integral part of the American society.


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