Ramadan In A Time Of War
Displaced Palestinians in Rafah decorate their tent in preparation for the holy month of Ramadan. The holiday begins as the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire. For many Muslim Americans, the situation in Gaza is infusing the holiday with a different meaning this year. Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images hide caption
Displaced Palestinians in Rafah decorate their tent in preparation for the holy month of Ramadan. The holiday begins as the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire. For many Muslim Americans, the situation in Gaza is infusing the holiday with a different meaning this year.
Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty ImagesThe holy month of Ramadan begins this week. It is a holy month of worship for Muslims during which they worship, study the Quran, pray and fast from sunrise until sunset.
It is a time of light, but Ramadan feels different this year, especially for Palestinian-Americans, says Eman Abdelhadi. She is a professor at the University of Chicago, whose research focuses on Muslim-Americans.
Abdelhadi says "every moment of joy feels stolen and elicits a sense of guilt." The guilt she describes is connected to the mass death and suffering in Gaza.
What does Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza mean for the holiest of Muslim holidays?
For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
This episode was produced by Brianna Scott and Linah Mohammad. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.