Religious Education Update: October 1

Islam and Ramadan-

The world’s Muslims are currently celebrating the Holy Month of Ramadan. Fasting during the daylight hours during this month is obligatory for most (with exceptions for the young, very old, and the sick), and includes a prohibition against food, drink, smoking and marital sex. Not being all that familiar with the practice, I assumed that Ramadan would be a difficult month for participants. However, Moina Noor, writes in last Wednesday’s San Francisco Chronicle:

Each year, my family eagerly awaits the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan. In spite of the rigor it adds to our daily routine, we look forward to the spirituality and the sense of community it brings. During Ramadan, which began Saturday (September 23) and lasts until October 23, observant Muslims abstain from eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset. An intense exercise in self-control, Ramadan is a time for Muslims to look inward. Weeks before Ramadan, however, our weekend social calendar fills with dinner invitations. It’s customary to break the fast together with a meal called iftaar.

I believe that most Americans know little about Islam, and that our lack of knowledge contributes to fear and mistrust. In a recent ABC News/Washington Post survey, 46% of polled Americans said that they had an unfavorable opinion of Islam. Thirty- three percent believe that mainstream Islam encourages violence against non-Muslims. A Cornell Poll in 2004 reports that about 27 percent of respondents agreed that all Muslim Americans should be required to register their location with the federal government, and 26 percent said they think that mosques should be closely monitored by U.S. law enforcement agencies.

As Unitarian-Universalists, we embrace freedom of religion, not just within our own walls, but for all the citizens of the world. If fear and mistrust of Islam allows our government to infringe on the freedom of Muslim communities in the US to worship as they wish, our own search for truth and meaning is also threatened.

In my work with the children this morning, we will not only talk about Ramadan, but also how UU’s respect everyone’s right to find their own religious truth.

Marlene Abel
Director of Religious Education