Ramadan For All

As Ramadan begins, Islamic community leaders are encouraging Muslims and non-Muslims alike to explore the significance of the holiday through events held throughout the month.

They include open houses of mosques and community centers, charitable events for the homeless, and celebrations for the fast-breaking holiday of Eid ul-Fitr, which for the Cupertino community is hosted by West Valley Muslim Association at Memorial Park on Aug. 30.

The celebration includes a fair for kids with cotton candy and a puppet show, plus time to reflect on the holiday’s meaning. 

“It’s usually about community building, about peace and doing good deeds reflecting on the last month,” said Reshma Hyder, the communications director of the Muslim Association. “It’s about how Muslims are encouraged to reflect on the effects of not being able to eat.”

Open houses are being held across the Bay Area, and close to home the Muslim Community Association will hold an open house on Aug. 13 at 6:30 p.m. at the MCA Banquet Hall at 3003 Scott Blvd., in Santa Clara. The event is free and includes dinner, but requires a reservation.

This year, the South Bay Islamic Association has an open house scheduled for Aug. 21 at 325 N. 3rd St. in San Jose for the general public since “there have been a lot misconceptions and stereotypes about Islam,” said Athar Siddiqee, the association’s president. 

Siddiqee hopes the open houses will demonstrate that Islam is not homogeneous—for example, reserved for Arabs from one region of the world—but rather is a diverse, peace-promoting religion with representation in over 70 countries.

There are 250,000 Muslims in Northern California, said Siddiqee, and an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 in the South Bay.

Ramadan is a time of fasting and abstinence. Muslims around the world not only refrain from eating and drinking during daylight hours, but also abstain from sex and smoking. Ramadan comes 11 days earlier each year, since Muslims follow a lunar calendar.

“Ramadan is an opportunity to not only physically but spiritually cleanse oneself,” said Siddiqee. “So you are not ‘starving yourself’ but rather you are abstaining from food, drink, and other worldly pleasures to remember those who are less fortunate then we are.”

The end of the month culminates with a “Eid ul-Fitr,” or “feast of the fast breaking,” said Siddiqee. Every year for the past 20 years, more than 7,000 Muslims have gathered at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds for a bazaar, roller coaster ride, and petting zoo at an event organized by the South Bay Islamic Association.

This year’s event will occur on either Aug. 30 or 31, depending on when the lunar cycle ends.

Several other events will occur throughout the month. On Aug. 20, Rahima Foundation will sponsor a “Human Dignity Day,” where they notify all homeless shelters in the area that they can come to the South Bay Islamic Association’s San Jose location to receive a hot meal, a hygiene kit, a blanket and a bottle of water. 

Nightly prayers are offered at the West Valley Muslim Association’s Saratoga location at 19848 Prospect Rd.

The Islamic Center of Santa Cruz’s nightly prayers are around 9:45 every night at 4401 Capitola Road.

A Ramadan timetable is available on the SBIA website.