Peculiarities of Ramadan in America

Baku/13.05.21/Turan : "For us Muslims in America, Ramadan is not only about observing the commandments of the religion, but also an opportunity to maintain ties within ethnic communities and develop contacts between them. It is also a period when our friends learn a lot about Islam and understand us better. At the same time, we feel the respect of others for our religious beliefs," says Mehmet Bulent, who emigrated to the United States from Turkey 22 years ago. 

During the month of Ramadan, almost the entire country in Turkey, he says, follows a single rhythm. 

"It's different here in America. While most people go on with their daily lives, many Muslims are changing their routines. It is a period of spiritual and, to a certain extent, physical purification, because fasting, orudj, seems to reformat our bodies, generating sublime feelings. And iftar dinners for Muslims in America are not just a meal, after many hours of abstinence from food and drink, but also an opportunity to socialize with members of our communities. Mosques, where people come with their families, create the conditions for this. This allows us to communicate with each other and make friends with representatives of other Muslim communities," Bulent says. 

How do Americans feel about the compliance of Ramadan by Muslims? 

Answering this question, Bulent says that he has never encountered any problems. 

"On the contrary, I have always felt a positive attitude from co-workers, acquaintances and neighbours. In a pandemic situation, iftar dinners are arranged in courtyards. Hundreds of people come there, liveliness ensues, children play, willy-nilly it gets noisy, but none of the neighbors complain. Everyone is sympathetic. We also invite people to the table and treat them. When people are kind and their thoughts are pure, there is always mutual understanding," Bulent says. 

He is happy that, unlike last year's Ramadan, when mosques were closed due to the pandemic, this year Muslims were able to visit religious temples during the holy month. 

Located in the small town Cliffside Park, the Diyanet Bergen Mosque ( a district in New Jersey) sits next door to a Catholic church. The two temples are separated by a narrow street. 

However, the close proximity of the religious communities does not cause any problems for each other. 

"On the contrary, we help each other. At the iftar before Ghadr night, there were more visitors and people did not fit in the mosque courtyard. The police then blocked traffic outside so that people could sit there and the church leadership provided us with tables and chairs so that we could seat the worshippers. The Pope (head of that church) himself also came to the ceremony," said Imam Khoja Ahmet of the mosque. 

He noted that due to the pandemic, mosques in the US, like other temples, were not closed this year. However, social distancing measures have been taken. 

"While in the pre-covid period, a total of 700-800 people could attend the festive namaz in our two halls, this year, even using the mosque courtyard, the number of people attending will not exceed 500," notes the imam. 

The number of guests for the iftar dinner has also been limited. 

"Every evening for iftar, we prepare meals for 300 people. Due to the pandemic, we set up tables in the courtyard of the mosque. We accommodate 150 people, taking into account the social distance, and takeaway food is provided for another 150," explains Hodja Ahmet. 

The food is financed by sponsors, including individuals and companies. 

For the latter, it is both charity and advertising. Information about the sponsors is displayed on advertising banners in the mosque's courtyard, as well as on its social media accounts. 

On a day-to-day basis, the mosque is funded by the support of around 300 members of its community, as well as voluntary donations from worshippers. 

To receive funds, the mosque has two safe deposit boxes, it is not the usual "nyazir gutusu" for Azerbaijani Muslim temples, but rather a neat box for "cash gifts" at wedding ceremonies. For here too, money is deposited in the urns in envelopes. It is up to the giver to put his name down or to remain incognito. 

The budget of the mosque allows it to establish a Sunday school where children are taught religious knowledge, the Turkish language, and music. It is a common practice in American mosques to have Sunday schools. 

Children are given special attention here. For instance, the Diyanet Bergen Mosque has a "children's park" with swings and slides, where parents who come to pray or iftar can leave their children there for a while. 

The children are presented with gifts for the holidays. 

Interestingly, while the mosque is financially independent, its imam is appointed by the Turkish administration for religious affairs. 

US authorities do not prohibit religious propaganda by foreign nationals. However, all religious communities and priests are required to act in accordance with US law. 

"The Diyanet Bergen Mosque"  is not only attended by believers of Turkish origin. 

"The doors of our mosque are open to everyone. Islam knows no borders. People of different nationalities - Arabs, Pakistanis, Bosnians, Malaysians - come to us. We have also had iftar with non-Muslims. In particular, people from the Russian Federation and Spain came to visit us," says Hodja Ahmet. 

In consideration of the pandemic, to avoid the density of worshippers at mosques and for those who are limited in time and cannot attend temples, his daily sermons on the occasion of Ramadan were broadcast online on social media on the Internet. 

While people from smaller cities can afford to go to mosques, in megacities it is difficult to get to temples, given the high volume of traffic. 

Mutaz Bakhash, a Pakistani national living in New York is one of those who, due to his busy schedule and geographical remoteness, could not attend the mosque during Ramadan. 

"I follow fasting during Ramadan, but I don't visit the mosque. In Pakistan, there are mosques in almost every block. But, here you are in a big city and just don't have time physically to make it to the mosque for namaz and iftar. However, in spite of our busy, constant shortage of time, during Ramadan, a group of my compatriots and I often go to an iftar dinner at a cafe. When you keep fasting for a day and know that billions of people on the planet do the same, then you feel that you are a part of some important action or event. Fasting cultivates one's will and strength," says Bahash. 

According to him, people around him have different attitudes towards his fasting. 

"Some colleagues notice my fasting because I don't drink coffee or eat lunch. Some are curious about it and ask questions. Others are indifferent. But I have never felt any disrespect. Although, America is a big country and such things are possible. So far I have only heard about these facts from mass media. Moreover, such reports appear when there are attacks on mosques somewhere in the world. I think the media is only whipping up the situation by spreading such news. 

It has the same effect as highlighting the religious affiliation of people committing armed crimes somewhere in the Middle East or Africa. In everyday life in America, people are busy with their own lives, many people, especially young people, don't even think about what religion they belong to. That means they don't attach any importance to it," says this New Yorker of Pakistani descent. 

Nazifa Abbas, originally from Tunisia, tries to maintain her religious identity by performing namaz, fasting, attending mosques and wearing the hijab. 

"In Tunisia, Ramadan is celebrated, one might say, nationwide. But, here in New York, you only experience it when you visit a mosque. People of different nationalities come here, but they all share the same faith. It creates a sense of unity. It gives one the strength to overcome the challenges of Ramadan," Abbas said. 

Of course, the diversity of cultures in the United States are also reflected in the behavior of Muslims in America, in the way religious rituals and traditions are performed. This factor even influences the architectural designs of mosques. At the same time, in the context of historical, cultural traditions, social relationships in the USA Islam is mainly of spiritual and educational nature in accordance with its philosophic essence, which is to comprehend the truth through the intellect. Islam in its classical form, in accordance with the Prophet Muhammad's precepts, encourages the knowledge of sciences, considering it a God-pleasing work. Perhaps that is why the number of Muslims in the United States is growing, not only because of natural increase but also because of the conversion of Americans themselves to the Muslim religion. 

It should be noted that the number of Muslims in the US is currently about 3.5 million, which is about 1 percent of the population. 

There are about 2,200 mosques operating in the country.  

Special Correspondent of Turan Farid Gahramanov  

New York - New Jersey - Baku