Monday, March 11, 2024

Ramadan In A Time Of War

Displaced Palestinians in Rafah decorate their tent in preparation for the holy month of Ramadan. The holiday begins as the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire. For many Muslim Americans, the situation in Gaza is infusing the holiday with a different meaning this year.

The holy month of Ramadan begins this week. It is a holy month of worship for Muslims during which they worship, study the Quran, pray and fast from sunrise until sunset.

It is a time of light, but Ramadan feels different this year, especially for Palestinian-Americans, says Eman Abdelhadi. She is a professor at the University of Chicago, whose research focuses on Muslim-Americans.

Abdelhadi says "every moment of joy feels stolen and elicits a sense of guilt." The guilt she describes is connected to the mass death and suffering in Gaza.

What does Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza mean for the holiest of Muslim holidays?

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(Image credit: Ahmad Hasaballah)

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