Last Ramadan, MUP ran a series of blog posts to share what the holy month of Ramadan means to Muslims. This year, we hear from Sadia Habib, Lecturer in Education at the Manchester Institute of Education (University of Manchester) and a contributor to MUP volumes The ethics of researching the Far Right [forthcoming] and I Refuse to Condemn. Sadia reflects on initiatives to celebrate Ramadan at the University and across the UK, combatting Islamophobia, and her personal goals for this month.
In May 2019, Manchester Museum – a cultural asset of the University of Manchester – held its first iftar in its 127-year history, an event which was open to all to attend. Having just started my role that same month as the Museum’s Our Shared Cultural Heritage Co-ordinator, I was heartened to begin working at a place where values of inclusivity and care were being expressed through embracing diversity and community. In particular, the stunning Qur’an recitation, the adhan (call to prayer), and the Maghrib prayer being performed in congregation were sounds and sights that stirred my soul. It is meaningful to Muslims, like myself, who experience and research Islamophobia and racism to be part of a powerful moment of togetherness with local communities from all faiths and none. And this in an institutional space where respecting and valuing my faith and identity is accepted as a norm.
A couple of weeks ago, we hosted our second iftar at the Museum, and it was once again a unifying experience for local communities. Even more momentous this year are the countless iftars taking places in public spaces – museums, galleries, mosques, town halls, football stadiums, and other indoor and outdoor civic spaces – places you would not expect to see Muslims praying in congregation, or hear Quranic recitation or the call to prayer. This remarkable energy and effort, I would argue, is unique to the UK, and thanks to the hard work of volunteers at initiatives like Taste Ramadan and the Open Iftar-Ramadan Tent Project. Another community campaign worth highlighting is Hospital Iftars in Manchester, which tirelessly ensures patients and staff in hospitals are supported during Ramadan. Elsewhere in the UK, there are Muslim creatives making Ramadan more visible to the mainstream. In Central London, for example, the first Ramadan moon and star illuminations have lit up Piccadilly Circus to celebrate the holy month – again, a first for Europe. On social media, I have also witnessed a steady stream of posts revealing employer or employee engagement with Ramadan in the workplace.
It matters to see that there is increasing awareness and important discussions taking place in workspaces on how best to support those fasting in Ramadan. While the aforementioned public awareness in the UK about Ramadan is positive and progressive, it is unsurprising and yet nevertheless disappointing that European countries are so far behind when it comes to diversity, inclusion and community engagement. Islamophobia continues to be rife. The French Football Federation, for example, refused to pause football matches so that Muslim players can break their fast, and stubbornly held this position by ordering referees to ban any interruptions
At this point of reflection, when the last ten days of Ramadan 2023 are upon us, I am pleased that Muslims in the UK have made great strides in resisting and challenging racism and Islamophobia by striving to share their faith, their identities and their way of life with wider society, with colleagues, and with the local, regional and national communities. I hope that we continue to fight oppressions and injustices by being bolder and stronger in representing our authentic selves, but also in our self-reflections leading to actions and goals to make the world a better place.
As well as the public iftars and congregational prayers in grand buildings and open air spaces, this Ramadan I have enjoyed attending Taraweeh prayers at the mosque. Taraweeh is a voluntary night prayer only prayed during Ramadan, and it is a special feeling knowing that millions around the world dedicate the month of Ramadan to spiritual success by offering extra prayer, fasting, increasing acts of charity, and more generally, breaking bad habits and developing good ones. It is important to note that many Muslims might not be fasting for a range of reasons which they may or may not wish to share. This Ramadan has been especially wonderful for me, as in previous years I have struggled to fast due to chronic illness. This year, however, I have managed to fast as I have been well (Alhamdulillah – praise be to God) after major surgery last summer.
Coinciding with Easter holidays has also meant that Ramadan has been easier for me in terms of my work commitments – although of course for Muslims around the world, Ramadan does not mean that works ceases. At the same time as fasting, I am writing a paper, and attending and presenting at the British Sociological Association Annual Conference, but of course will miss out on any socials organised around food. Alongside business as usual with regards to working life, some Muslims set themselves personal Ramadan goals which they might continue with in the other months of the year, such as improving health and fitness, or giving up a bad a habit, or increasing knowledge. One of my goals is to reflect and act upon how I can strive to resist the lures of consumerism and capitalism this Ramadan and, I am hoping, in the months that follow.