Breaking fast at MUN: Muslim students host Ramadan feast
A group of Muslim students at Memorial University in St. John's opened up their feast to non-Muslims this week, to raise awareness about their holy month — and raise funds for people in need.
For the month of Ramadan, Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from dawn until dusk.
The Muslim Students' Association at MUN opened up Monday night's feast at the engineering building to anyone who took part in the fast, like student Renata Lang.
"I wasn't sure if I was gonna be able to make it. As an athlete I eat every three hours, but one of my colleagues mentioned that she was partaking and I said, 'If she can do it, I can,'" she said.
Lang didn't make the full fast — she drank some water during the day — but said the experience opened her eyes to the religion.
"It wasn't until taking part in the event first hand, really getting a sense of where your mind is at, being able to withstand not eating for an entire day … doing that first-hand was more unique than just hearing about something," she said.
"I give my Muslim brothers and sisters credit. I don't think I could do it for 30 days, so kudos to them."
Ahmed Khawer, president of with the Muslim Students' Association, said the turnout Monday night was somewhere around 100 people.
"I'm very blessed and very thankful that people came and joined us here. We're not the ones who are gonna finish the food so we need people."
The feast also raised money for Islamic Relief, an organization that allows people to pledge $60 to pay for a month's supply fo food for a family of five in other countries.
Khawer said the turnout to him illustrates how giving and open people in the community can be.
"It makes us feel great because kind of experiencing what the Muslims are feeling and how open this community … is that people aren't scared to try new things, they're really open in what their beliefs are," he said.
"Not to keep things isolated or have this misconception of what it is that people do. You kind of see all the vibrant cultures here showing up, people in traditional clothes, so it's very nice to have everyone here."