19 September 2007
For U.S. Muslims, Ramadan Is Reminder To Help Local Communities
Muslim nonprofit groups aid the needy, participate in interfaith events
Washington -- The sacred month of Ramadan, observed by Muslims worldwide, is a time of spiritual renewal, with a strong focus on performing good deeds and deepening ties with neighbors and local communities.
The evening meal, known as iftar and held after sundown to break the Ramadan fast each day, often is a communal affair at mosques across the United States. Iftars also are hosted by most Muslim organizations in America, including those in the nation’s capital.
At the Muslim Community Center (MCC) in Silver Spring, Maryland, iftars “are open to the public,” says MCC President Nehal Shah. The All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS) Center, which has seven branches throughout northern Virginia, shares this approach.
An inclusive spirit informs these groups’ charitable initiatives as well. Assistance is provided regardless of religious affiliation because, under Islam, “folks who aren’t needy are required to help those who are,” says Shirin Elkoshairi, co-chair of media relations for ADAMS.
In interviews with America.gov, Shah and Elkoshairi described how their groups apply Islamic precepts in a pluralistic society. MCC runs a clinic offering free medical care to people, regardless of their religion, who have no health insurance. “We are trying to strengthen our interfaith partnerships with churches and synagogues” to better serve the local community, Shah said.
Year-round charitable giving is one of the pillars of Islam, but during Ramadan, “the impact and rewards of your good deeds are magnified,” said Elkoshairi. Muslims are urged to contribute whatever they can to ease the hardships of others. “For instance, my household consists of six people. So I take the cost of a meal, multiply it by six, and donate it to the [ADAMS] Center for distribution to needy families,” Elkoshairi said.
“Among Muslims at the center, you’ll find a lot of grassroots efforts to help needy people: inviting them over for meals, volunteering at homeless shelters and so forth,” he added.
Both MCC and ADAMS provide social services, including emergency aid to people coping with problems such as a health crisis or loss of employment or housing. Not long ago, the ADAMS Center helped a young woman whose husband died unexpectedly, Elkoshairi recalled. “We raised funds to help support her and her children until she could get on her feet again,” he said. Similarly, the MCC donated $1,000 to a man who lost his business, “and now we’re following his progress,” said Shah.
The groups also offer help on a larger scale. MCC has launched a disaster relief fund to aid victims of recent flooding in South Asia. The group also raised more than $75,000 for the victims of the 2005 India-Pakistan earthquake and another $75,000 for the victims of Hurricane Katrina (which struck the U.S. Gulf Coast in August 2005), and raised $50,000 to assist victims of the tsunami that struck Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand in December 2004. ADAMS volunteers collected basic necessities for South Asia flood victims, and “we’ve sent trailerloads of clothing and blankets this year,” said Elkoshairi.
U.S. Muslim organizations often coordinate with other nonprofit groups to reach people in need, according to Elkoshairi. For example, ADAMS provided a facility, advertising and logistical support to another charity so that, together, they could help homeless families and battered women in Baltimore.
Among U.S. Muslims, the habit of giving is cultivated early. Children enrolled in the ADAMS Center’s youth programs are encouraged to do their part. Each year, “our Boy Scouts hold a food drive, and our Girl Scouts put together ‘baby bundles’ -- packages of clothing, food and formula for needy families with infants,” said Elkoshairi.
“We are all collaborating,” Shah agreed. The need to integrate and engage with the larger society is one of the messages MCC emphasizes, he said. When Muslim immigrants settle in the United States, they learn that they cannot isolate themselves from non-Muslims, Shah said. Most immigrants assimilate easily, but “more cultural adaptation is required” in some cases, he said. “Some have a closed mind, but they cannot keep it closed forever in this environment.”
Both men expressed gratitude for the protection of religious freedom in the United States, and said U.S. Muslims are eager to give back to a country that embraces newcomers from around the globe.
In the workplace, “U.S. employers are very accommodating” of Muslims’ prayer requirements, said Elkoshairi. “They are very understanding.” During Ramadan and throughout the year, U.S. Muslims, Jews and Christians “work together to achieve common goals,” said Shah. “We want to do good things for this nation, and for the world.”
See also “Muslims Care” Campaign Improves American Health, Communities.
