As Ramadan, the holy month for Muslims, slowly comes to an end, community members in the area have gathered to celebrate these spiritual moments together.. On Thursday, March 12, McLean’s Muslim Student Association (MSA) collaborated with Langley’s MSA and Arab Student Association as well as Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology’s MSA to host an iftar event for Muslim students to break their fast at Langley High School.
“I participated [in this event] because Ramadan is a really meaningful time for reflection, gratitude and sharing with others, so it felt special to experience that with classmates and friends,” said sophomore Adil Ahmed Shaik, McLean MSA’s prayer coordinator. “The food and conversations made the atmosphere welcoming and joyful.”
The event began with Brother Ali, a guest speaker who spoke about the spiritual meaningfulness of the last ten days and nights of Ramadan. After that, students gathered for one of the daily prayers at sunset time.
“It’s really special to watch people connect, reflect [on their religious acts] and enjoy the evening together,” said senior Nadia Mansourian, McLean MSA’s president.
The MSAs had been planning this event for a long time, working to figure out the logistics of providing food, promoting the event and more.
“Organizing this inter-MSA iftar event with McLean and TJ was honestly such a special experience for me,” said Zeinab Mallick, Langley MSA’s president. “It took a lot of planning and coordination between the schools, but seeing everything come together made it completely worth it.”
Since last year, McLean has coordinated with other schools in the area such as Langley, Madison and Woodson to organize iftar events.
“Events like these allow us to support one another and strengthen our sense of unity,” Mansourian said. “It’s important to create spaces where people can gather and appreciate different perspectives.”
As iftar events slowly wrap up with the end of the holy month, many look forward to similar events next year.
“My favorite moment was looking around the room and seeing students from all three schools sitting together, sharing food, laughing and getting to know each other,” Mallick said. “That sense of community is exactly what we hoped to create. I really hope this becomes something we continue every year, and that it keeps bringing our MSAs closer together.”
