Munira Khalif, an 8th grader at Glasgow shared the traditions she and her family have for their celebration of Ramadan, and what these traditions mean in her culture. “Ramadan is a religious holiday that we use to strengthen our relationship with Allah. During Ramadan we fast, pray, and spend time with family.” She also explained that they have Iftar, which is their dinner, and Suhoor, which is basically an early morning breakfast. It’s one of the few times that Munira gets special foods, which is a lot of fun for her. She and her family also recite the Qur’an, and are not supposed to listen to music, lie, or fight.

Munira also fasted (abstained from eating or drinking) for the whole month of Ramadan, April 2nd – May 1st, 2022. At first, it was hard not eating from dawn to dusk since she wasn’t used to it. However, it got easier over time. Munira explained that, “Ramadan was made because it marks the occasion of when the Qur’an was first revealed to Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). We fast, pray, and read the Qur’an more to become closer to Allah.” Fasting is an important aspect of Ramadan because it not only brings Muslims closer to their religion, but also helps them empathize with those who are less fortunate. The practice of restraint helps people appreciate all that they have.

Munira described what breaking fast looks like in her family. Munira, her mom, and younger sister make special foods for Iftar. Munira makes samboos, which is a triangle shaped egg roll type food that is filled with meat and is fried. They also make buur which is a brown sweet bread, and malawah which is like a crepe that can be sweet or savory. They all eat together with her dad and little brother, then pray before finishing their meal. At the end of Ramadan, Munira enjoys celebrating Eid al-Fitr where she and her family go to the Masjid, pray, then go to Green Spring Gardens to take pictures before going to a restaurant for breakfast. She remembers, “We used to always go to IHop, and we would see a lot of other families there that also celebrate. It was fun because we also saw some close family friends there and had a sort of conjoined breakfast.”

Munira’s parents are from Somalia, and most of her family moved from Somalia to America recently to be with family. She loves getting together with her family to celebrate. Munira was a stage manager for the past Glasgow MS theater production of Annie Jr., which made her schedule very busy. During Ramadan, she liked the fact that her and her family set aside time to cook and eat together all at the same time.

Glasgow is a very diverse school where many cultures are represented, however, Munira noticed that Ramadan does not get as much recognition or awareness than commercialized holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving. She noted that one of the few times Ramadan was mentioned was when the pacer was postponed because of it. She feels slightly annoyed because of this and wants her culture to be recognized as much as any other. Munira has shed a light on an important topic of cultural and religious awareness. Take the time to learn about the diverse range of religions, cultures, and ethnicities here at Glasgow to fully appreciate all of the people that are part of our community.