To most students, March is another month of the year, but to Muslim students like Rokeya Sarah, March overlaps this year with the holiest Islamic holiday, Ramadan.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is observed as a month of holiness. The month is defined by religious devotion to Allah, God in Arabic, through fasting, prayer, reflection and community.
“The importance of Ramadan is feeling closer to Allah compared to the other months because this month our holy book, the Quran, got released, so we feel a lot closer to Allah,” said Sarah.
Sarah said she has had to face the many challenges that come with observing Ramadan as a full-time student.
“It is harder because I am a college student,” Sarah said. “It’s the caffeine that’s the problem. I fortunately have just one class at 8 a.m., but having classes and having your brain functional all the time when you don’t eat the whole day disrupts my regular life.”
Although Sarah joked about missing her cup of coffee in the morning it’s not the hardest challenge for her while observing Ramadan.
“I would say fasting alone is tougher than fasting with my family because after you come home to [family] and you do it all together and when you do everything together you don’t feel alone,” said Sarah.
Although Sarah attends school in New Hampshire, her family lives in New York, which she said can make her feel homesick, especially during a religious celebration meant to bring people together.
“My first Ramadan I felt a bit alone because all of my friends and family are over here [New York] and I am over there [Keene]. The end of Ramadan for us is like a celebration day but on campus it is not.”
Ramadan being overlooked in Western culture could be seen as similar to overlooking Thanksgiving, which is also a time when people come together with family and friends.
In Sarah’s feelings of loneliness she said she found a family in a club that brings a variety of cultures to Keene.
“Global Cultural Club is a student organization at Keene State that promotes learning and embracing different cultures or as we like to call it, a melting pot of Keene State,” said sophomore Nisha Poudel, the co-president of the Global Cultural Club.
The club continues to support Sarah as her friends while she observes Ramadan.
Since joining the club, Sarah has taken a leadership role as club secretary, giving back to the community that has played a key part in supporting her personal and spiritual growth.
Being the only student in the club who practices Islam, Sarah spreads her culture and its importance with other club members.
“We had one of our meetings hosted by our member, [Sarah]. She explained about what goes into Ramadan and what’s the significance of it,” said Poudel.
Sarah said she could not celebrate Ramadan with her family, so she instead found a community where she could share and celebrate not just her culture but a slice of her home.
Xander Noel can be contacted at
xnoel@equinox.com
