Amidst sumptuous Middle Eastern cuisine and radiant attire, Northwestern students and community members came together Sunday at dusk to break their day’s fast at the 11th annual Ramadan dinner sponsored by the Muslim-cultural Students Association.
More than 300 people, both Muslim and non-Muslim, attended the sold-out event in a spirit of community central to this monthlong holiday that began Oct. 27.
“Besides just having Muslim students break fast, we wanted this event to provide a time for us to build community,” said Nilofer Umar, executive vice president of McSA, who played a large part in organizing the event, a task that began in April.
“Ramadan is such a great holiday for our community,” Umar said. “It’s a joyous time for us, and I think that our speakers convey that sentiment.”
The event began with a recitation of the Koran and proceeded to speakers. They ranged from Weinberg freshman Adnan Javed, who humorously related his trials with fasting, to Salam Al-Marayati, the executive director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council based in Los Angeles, who talked about human rights and the purpose of Ramadan.
“Ramadan is the time to embrace the message of the Koran, which is to overcome your impulse and your desires,” Al-Marayati said. “Instead you do what is better and resist immediate gratification.”
Resisting temptation is a lesson learned through fasting, a component of Ramadan practiced from sunrise to sunset. Many people in attendance at the dinner stressed the importance of community during this time.
“During Ramadan, this dinner shows the importance of community building,” said Danish Qureshi, co-president of McSA.
Christy Sommers, a Weinberg senior, said, “I think that the Muslim community at Northwestern is incredible because they put on events like this dinner and Islamic Awareness Week to broaden the campus’ understanding of their culture.”
Al-Marayati added that self-reflection is another central element to celebrating Ramadan.
“Self-reflection is one of the greatest things we can get from Ramadan,” he said. “It allows us to step back and reflect on what life is, how we can lead it and how we can become better people.”
Most Muslim students said they appreciate that there are plenty of opportunities during Ramadan for them to socialize with their fellow Muslim students.
“Every night there’s a lot of people that break their fast at the ‘iftars,'” said Fareesa Abbasi, a Weinberg freshman. “It’s a good place to meet your fellow Muslim students and check out what’s going on with their lives. Otherwise, you rarely get a chance to see them.”
Al-Marayati reflected back on his days as a student at the University of California at Los Angeles, when Ramadan festivals lacked in size and diversity. He commended the diverse crowd in attendance.
“This is an inspiring moment in history,” said Al-Marayati, “when all different peoples — Muslims, Christians, Jews — have come together in the spirit of Ramadan.”
He went on to stress the non-secular aspect of human rights, which some said struck a chord after Sept. 11, 2001, and incidents of bigotry on campus.
In a time where diversity and student unity is questioned on campus, Asiya Bari, co-president of the McSA and a Weinberg junior, summarized the holiday’s effect on a positive note.
“Ramadan inspires communication and understanding of the commonalities between us,” Bari said. “This way we can make the world a more unified and happier place.”
