At a time when Muslims are faced with many challenges as a result of the Ground Zero mosque controversy, the Eid-Al-Fitr celebration and dinner held at Fairfield University is not only a testament to the increased diversity on campus, but a demonstration of the collaboration that still exists between people of different faiths.
The event took place on Monday evening in the McGrath Commons and was hosted by the Muslim Student Association of Fairfield University that began in the spring semester of 2009.
The MSA began the event with an introductory lesson on the significance of this religious event to the Muslims, both on campus and all over the world.
Eid-Al-Fitr, or the festival of the breaking of fast, happens at the end of Ramadan, which is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. During this month, Muslims abstain from food and water from sunrise to sunset and perfect their relationship with God through the offering of extra prayer and charity to the poor.
This introduction was offered by Heba Yousif, the new Muslim Chaplain at Fairfield University. Yousif, a student at Hartford Seminary, is one of the many chaplains throughout the country who serves as advisors and representatives for the Muslims on college campuses, hospitals, prisons and other settings.
A Question & Answer session followed the lesson that allowed the audience to pose any questions they might have to a panel.
“The event was a good opportunity to start a dialogue,” said Dr. Martin Nguyen, assistant professor of Islamic Studies in the Religious Studies department and one of the speakers in the panel.
One of the questions posed was whether or not the Quran, which is the holy scripture of the Muslims, condoned the actions of the terrorists involved in the 9/11 attacks.
Dr. Nguyen said that from an academic point-of-view, the Quran is a complex text that must be thoroughly examined and that any educated individual who does so will find that it does not condone such actions.
The Quran dates back to the seventh century when it was revealed to Muhammad, the last prophet of Islam. Although the Quran has been the object of controversy since the attacks, it contains many verses that are overlooked which offer an often unseen view of Islam.
For example, in chapter 49 verse 13 God addresses the Muslims on the topic of social ethics. The verse, according to the Abdullah Yusuf Ali English translation, is as follows:
O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of God is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And God has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).
At the end of this session the audience was allowed to observe the Maghrib prayer, which is one the five daily prayers performed by Muslims.
“I thought it was beautiful to observe the prayer and that especially allowed people to continue with this interfaith dialogue,” said Sarah Perone ‘11, who attended the event as part of her Islamic in America course.
Dinner was served with Pakistani style food from the Salt & Pepper restaurant in Bridgeport. The room that was previously set up with rows of chairs quickly converted into a makeshift private dining area when the people gathered with their friends and huddled their chairs together into a circle.
Overall, the event was described by many of the attendees as a great one.
“I first noticed that there were many non-Muslims in the audience and I appreciated them learning about Muslim students at Fairfield University and Islam in general. It was a relief, especially considering the current problems faced by Muslims in America, to know that there were many people who care about the Muslims,” said Sahab Aslam, a graduate student at Fairfield who hopes that there will be many more similar events which will promote peace and tolerance.
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