Ramadan in America By : Fatemah Alhusayni Instructor: KWANGHYUN PARK ESL 015, Academic Writing 02 Fall 2005

Introduction: Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim lunar calendar. It’s determined by seeing the crescent of the moon at last day of the previous month. Ramadan is the month of fasting. Muslims every where abstain from food, drink and sex from down to sunset each day the entire month. Ramadan is also the month of well power, being closer to God, and being nice to your friends and family.*(1) Inspiring by my personal experience and by our neighbor; Adel Esmael family, who just came to State College,I am going to introduce and explain how Ramadan is different in the U.S than in the Muslim world, and how Muslims, citizens and residents, experience Ramadan in America.

Ramadan in the Muslim world: Ramadan in the Muslim world, specifically Kuwait, is associated with special ambience. All working hours will be cut to the half. Special TV programs would be set, and special dishes are cooked just in Ramadan. In Islam, there’s something called Athan. Athan is when a special man goes to the top of the mosque calling for believers to prayer *(2), so that all the people in the town hear them and know that this is the pray time. Athan is specially important in Ramadan because when people hear Athan for down pray, it’s the time for them to stop from eating and drinking. After a long day,around sunset time, all the family gather around the table to eat the Iftar, the Arabic word for fast breaking. In the weekends all people from the same family, go to the house of the oldest man in the family to eat Iftar on a long big dinning table.

Ramadan in the U.S: - Non- citizens: Ramadan is very hard for those who came to work or study. They usually have no relatives or Muslim friends. It’s harder for singles than families, since they have no time to cook, so they usually fast break alone on fast foods meals. Families and singles live in small towns have a more difficult time since they usually don’t contain any mosques or Islamic centers. Cities like Dearborn, Detroit, New York city and Los Angeles, have many Islamic centers and schools. Muslims in their have a more familiar and worming Ramadan. - Citizens: There are five million Muslims in America.*(3) According to one recent survey, there are 1,209 mosques in America, well over half founded in the last 20 years.227 of them are in California.*(4) Muslim citizens who immigrated or converted to Islam, experience Ramadan very similar to this in the Muslim world because they have families, friends and worship places.

A Muslim man shares a tender moment with his wife on South Mountain, Arizona, to view the crescent moon that will signal the beginning of Ramadan Ramadan is celebrated in various ways throughout America. Fasting during the day is only one part of the Ramadan activities. In countless Muslim households and mosques in America, Muslims gather to break the daylong fast, inviting friends and non-Muslims alike at sunset. Here, a Michigan family prepares to end their fast. At the Al-Ghazaly Muslim Elementary School in Jersey City, New Jersey, a third-grade teacher helps her class prepare for an upcoming test. The Islamic center of Southern California in Beverly Hills.

Americans and Islam: 55 percent of Americans view Islam in favorable light.*(5) In some communities including Washington DC, local television stations broadcast daily Ramadan greeting. A few years ago President George W. Bush hosted an Iftar dinner at the White House, welcoming representatives from 53 Muslim nations. For the last few years, the U.S Department of State has hosted an Iftar dinner for prominent American Muslim leaders. *(6)

Conclusion: Ramadan is a celebrated month for Muslims all over the world. For those who have been away from home, it is always going to be hard whether they spend it in the U.S or elsewhere. American Muslims have created a new Ramadan customs and tradition adjusting to the life tone of the United States.

References: (1), (2),(3): Celebrating Ramadan. By: Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith,2001. (4): (5): (6):