On March 4, our Community Commons transformed from the usual cafeteria and library into a beautifully decorated welcoming area with a potluck-style buffet and prayer space. Rose petals garnished the tables, and small lanterns illuminated the area while tiny chalkboards reading ‘Ramadan Mubarak’ sat in the middle of each table.
KO holds many cultural events, such as the Asian American Pacific Islander potluck and the Jewish Student Affinity Group Passover Seder. Freshman Zoha Shamsi was responsible for organizing KO’s first Iftar dinner during Ramadan, providing yet another opportunity for people in the KO community to come together for a religious and cultural gathering. Zoha decided that she wanted to find a way to incorporate her culture into an event. Ramadan is an extremely important time of year for Muslims, so holding this dinner was very important. It allowed for other cultures that hadn’t been celebrated in the past to have their time at KO, and that’s why this event was so significant.
Ramadan is widely considered the most significant and holy time in the Islamic calendar. The month of Ramadan, which is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, marks a period of fasting, reflection, and devotion to Allah. During this time, Muslims worldwide refrain from eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset, and they use this time to recite the Qur’an and strengthen their connection to Allah.
Students from Suffield and Loomis arrived at 5:45, just in time for prayer. At 6:00, the students opened their fasts with dates and water and then enjoyed a delicious potluck-style dinner full of Pakistani and Syrian foods. The dinner was followed by speeches from Zoha, who ran this event, Head of School Tom Dillow, and a guest speaker named Imam Mohammad Tabarssi, who spoke on the importance of Ramadan. This was the first Iftar dinner KO has ever held, and it would not have been possible without the dedication of the Muslim Student Association, especially Zoha.
Being the main person behind this, Zoha shared an extremely impactful speech. “When I was standing at the podium and I was looking at everybody and speaking, it was really inspiring as to how I organized this entire thing and how I managed to achieve having people from different schools come,” she said. “It was a really proud moment.”
Finding a way to celebrate Muslim culture was crucial to the MSA, and Ramadan presented the perfect opportunity. “I really, really wanted to do something regarding Ramadan, because I knew that this is a really important time for Muslims,” Zoha said.
This dinner was not limited to students at KO. The MSA reached out to many prep schools in the area, and ultimately ended up with students from Suffield and Loomis. In the end, they had an astounding 30-40 students and faculty attending, with the majority of them being from KO.
This dinner represented more than just breaking a fast. Its goal was to bring a voice to minorities and build a community of support. Core member of the MSA, junior Aliza Rashid, shared why she felt this event was important. “This event matters not just for us, but for other schools involved because it creates a community of Muslims,” she shared. “It creates an outreach for us Muslims who don’t really have a community at our own schools.” Each school only has so many Muslim students, so building this community of people with similarities can truly have a huge impact.
This dinner was also an opportunity for Muslim students to have a voice. “Events like these matter to help bring voice to our minority populations at KO,” Aliza shared. It’s important for people to truly understand the Islamic religion. “It has a lot of worth just getting Muslims’ names out there,” Zoha said. “For so many years, there’s been a lot of misconceptions that even I feel with my own eyes.” Events like these can clear up misconceptions and allow for a deeper understanding of these cultures.
However, not only were Muslim students invited to this event. Non-Muslim students were welcomed, and even encouraged to attend this event. By having non-Muslim students attend, it allowed for connections to be made and a community to be built. “It creates awareness for a community and it helps different cultures feel like they can express their beliefs and freely feel welcomed,” Aliza shared. Freshman Claire Gitner was one of the non-Muslim students who chose to attend. She really valued the chance to take part in the event. “I think it gave me an opportunity to have more meaningful insight on the Islamic religion,” Claire said. “I went to support my friend, but I left with new connections with people and an insight and understanding of their religion,” she said.
You don’t have to be a part of a certain culture to support it; just attending the event shows your support to them. And who knows — maybe you’ll leave with new, meaningful connections and a community of support.
