Muslim students celebrate the end of Ramadan

Colors and culture decorated Houston Hall's Bodek Lounge yesterday as Muslims celebrated Eidul-Fitr, the end of the fast month of Ramadan. "The holiday of Eidul-Fitr ends the month when observant Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, or having sex with their spouses during the day," College sophomore Shabeer Abubucker said. He explained that although observance of Ramadan ended on March 2 with the holiday of Eid, the celebration was delayed until yesterday because of spring break. Muslim students and residents of the neighborhood gathered together for a feast including Middle Eastern foods, music and religious poetry. Speaker Syed Sayeed discussed the meaning of Eid, referring to the holiday as both a celebration and a reflection on one's "superiority to physical habits." He also read verses from the Koran, the Muslim holy book, and stressed the importance of faith in religion and service to one's creator. The celebration was sponsored by the Muslim Student Association, the Pakistani Student Association, the Arab Society, the Penn Muslim Women's Forum and the South Asia Society. "For me, Eid is a time when all Muslims unite and celebrate overcoming the challenging fast month," Engineering sophomore Sadaf Kazmi said. "This month helps to build character." College freshman Sheba Karim said it has been a good experience for her as well. "This celebration is a good way to meet other Muslims that I wouldn't have ordinarily met," she said. Service for the buffet dinner, which consisted mostly of chicken, vegetables and rice, was segregated according to gender -- as was most of the seating. "The intermingling of men and women sometimes leads to activities that may promote pre-marital sex, which we try to prevent," Engineering junior Bilal Shafi said. "The separation of men from women makes the guidelines in the Koran easier to follow." Several people delivered poems after dinner.