‘United sense of community’: VCU students observe Ramadan together
Students break their fast at a weekly iftar and game night hosted by the Black Muslim Collective at Ascend RVA. Muslim groups around campus have planned various events for the holy month of Ramadan. Photo by Bilan Osman.
Bilan Osman, Contributing Writer
The Muslim Student Association, like other clubs such as the Black Muslim Collective at Virginia Commonwealth University, will host weekly community gatherings and prayers for Ramadan this month.
Ramadan, the holy month for Muslims, began on March 11th and will end on April 9th this year, according to the University of Virginia’s student affairs website. Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset during this time. For Muslims, Ramadan is a month of self-reflection, giving, praying and community, according to the Islamic Networks Group website.
VCU has an estimated 2,000 Muslim students, according to Charles Turner, the university’s Muslim Life coordinator.
Ramadan at VCU is different every year, but there have been improvements in accommodations over the years, according to Turner. VCU faculty like associate vice provost and dean of students Rueban Rodriguez and Charles Klink, associate vice president for holistic well-being, have been supportive of Muslim students.
Student organizations like the MSA have planned nightly community iftar dinners from Monday through Friday, according to MSA’s Instagram.
Students who are fasting can get halal meals from VCU Dine locations like Za’atar at the University Student Commons and Shafer or Rams Coop for halal chicken, according to Bryan Kelly, VCU Dine resident district manager.
MSA will also host Maghrib, Isha and Taraweeh prayers Monday through Friday, according to MSA President Lamies Abbas. MSA also plans to collaborate with other student organizations like Black Muslim Collective and host a multicultural iftar, Abbas said.
Black Muslim Collective will also host weekly iftars, according to BMC’s Instagram.
MSA at VCU hosts events for Ramadan every year, and each year the community grows, according to Abbas.
“It’s a really very united sense of community, not breaking your fast by yourself,” Abbas said.
MSA is one of the largest student organizations at VCU, according to Abbas. VCU’s Muslim student population has limited prayer space; the only places to pray on campus are the meditation room in the Commons and the new reflection room at James Branch Cabell Library.
Prayer space is being accommodated by the University Student Commons on Monday through Friday nights for Ramadan, according to Abbas.
Students find a sense of community away from home through MSA events during Ramadan, according to Laila Dajani, a fourth-year business marketing major.
“We all kind of relate to each other,” Dajani said.
Dajani said she was nervous about spending Ramadan away from home when she first transferred to VCU but found a sense of community during Ramadan on campus.
Dajani said she hopes VCU can bring more awareness and educate faculty about Ramadan so that there are more accommodations for students in the future.
“The head of VCU should definitely implement that every year and let the whole entire campus know this is what Ramadan is, this is what it’s about, please be mindful of your students,” Dajani said.
