Some Muslim students at AU say it can be a real struggle to fight back the urge to eat through the day as they fast in recognition of Ramadan.
Watching their fellow classmates eat, drink or indulge in a smoke can be difficult without the support systems of their families and communities. Some AU Muslims simply share their fasting time and meals between themselves and some friends.
"No atmosphere, no majority and no community," said Ayan Islam, a sophomore, about the difficulties of fasting during Ramadan at AU.
Muslims fast during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar to reflect on their faith. During the entire month, students forgo eating and drinking during the day, as well as sex and smoking for the entire month, said Saad Eo Khadem, a freshman.
However, the Muslim Student Association does hold events and especially tries to emphasize its community during Ramadan.
"We break fast with water and dates, then after the prayer we start the heavy meal" in Kay Spiritual Center, said Wael Qassim, a senior in the Kogod School of Business who serves as treasurer of the MSA. "There's no scheme of what we should serve because we try to accommodate people by what they like in taste, and so far it seems like they're satisfied."
The end of the day is broken with a prayer called Taraweeh and a light meal called iftar.
At the end of Ramadan family and friends get together at the end of the month to feast and exchange gifts. koran
Khadem said that it is very different fasting at AU compared to fasting at home. These differences are what make it somewhat difficult for him, but he manages to get through his day as usual.
Islam said that because of the lack of community and Muslim majority at AU, it is somewhat hard to find out about prayer services and atmospheres that are conducive to breaking fast. She did not find out about events on campus until last year when only one week of Ramadan was left.
Kay Spiritual Center holds prayer services and dinners. This helps replace the home cooking and family atmosphere that is a component of many students' celebration of Ramadan when they are at home.
Islam misses the Ramadan activities that she participated in her Kuwait home, including a one-week period when children did a sort of trick-or-treating by going around neighborhoods to get candy and nuts. Sometimes they would perform a "Happy Ramadan" song, and the boys often carried drums made of coffee cans.
Muslims choose various ways of getting through a day of fasting. Islam fulfills her appetite at night. She also said that avoiding sugars in the later part of the evening helps her get through the next day. Khadem said that sleeping in is key to getting through the day.
Students may also run into problems if fast breaks during one of their classes. However, AU Muslims have also said that their professors have been accepting. Some Muslim students say that bringing a snack and something to drink to a 5:30 p.m. class is a good way to break fast until they can have an actual meal.
"They aren't going to ask you not to eat or anything like that, I think they'd feel bad. They know that you're breaking fast at a specific time," said Tahir Jamil, a junior biology major and vice president of the MSA. "I haven't had any big problems, most of the professors are pretty understanding"
