Muslims and non-Muslims alike joined together yesterday in fasting for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which runs this year from mid-October to mid-November and is a time of prayer and fasting in the Muslim faith.
The goal of the Ramadan Fast-a-thon was to raise the exposure of non-Muslims to Islam and to raise money for charity.
The Penn Muslim Students Association organized the event, which encouraged non-Muslims to fast during the daylight hours yesterday.
Last night, the MSA hosted a dinner in Houston Hall for all those who had fasted.
"It's very nice, especially in this day and age, to see Muslims and non-Muslims coming together," College senior and MSA President Anjum Cheema said.
He noted that the event helped to "show the community service part of Islam" to non-Muslims.
Local businesses pledged $2 for every person who fasted, with the money going toward the Freedom Development Corporation, a Philadelphia food bank.
During the dinner, Muslims led the approximately 250 attendees in a prayer in honor of Ramadan, and speakers explained the significance of the holy month.
Haroon Moghul, a graduate student, said that Ramadan is meant to "emphasize prayer, emphasize charity and emphasize community."
Moghul also discussed the purpose of fasting. "It instills in you an incredible discipline," he said.
Derek Felton, an anti-hunger advocate and Philadelphia resident, spoke about the challenges many Philadelphians face in terms of acquiring food.
Felton said that "you're fasting because you chose to fast," but that over 200,000 people in Philadelphia "don't have that choice."
Participants praised the event. College sophomore Katy Fleming said it was "thought-provoking. Otherwise, I would never think about what it's like to be hungry."
College sophomore Sara Barclay said she decided to fast because she has "wanted to try fasting before," but "didn't have the self-control to do it on [her] own."
Hussan Muhammad, an independent researcher at Penn, said he attended the dinner because he "wanted to see the interaction between Muslims and non-Muslims in a religious environment."
The event was part of a nationwide effort of Muslim student groups across different college campuses. It attracted about 150 non-Muslim and 100 Muslim participants at Penn, and raised $750.
Organizers said they were happy with the level of participation.
"I'm very impressed by how many people are willing to try a new and seemingly difficult experience," College junior and MSA Islamic Education Co-Chairwoman Mariyahl Hoole said.
Referring to the religious and ethnic makeup of the participants, Moghul said he was "most of all impressed by the range of people."
