Photos by Delina Yohannes
Ramadan is the most holy month of the Islamic calendar, where Muslims all over the world avoid any food or water from when the sun rises to when the sun sets. This 30 day period of time is where Muslims work on themselves, and their Iman or religious faith.
Suhoor is the meal that is eaten before the first light of dawn rises. Iftar is the meal that is eaten after the sun sets and the fast is broken.
Malden High School offers an isolated Prayer room on the Boyle 3rd floor that is designated for the use of Muslims during Ramadan in support of their fast. During periods four and seven, two 30-minute intervals are given for both females and males to pray. To maintain the room’s sole purpose and to avoid any potential misuse of the room, staff members carefully monitor the room from the outside.
Nour Howard, a freshman here at Malden High School, described fasting while also attending school as “…tiring, but it’s also disciplining because in the Western society, you do not really see a lot of people fasting and stuff so when you go to school and you see others eating, it helps to discipline you and gain self control.”
The school has tried to represent this holy month in ways such as displaying the phrase “Ramadan Kareem,” along with the beginning and ending dates of the holy month. However, others may argue that there could be more that can be done in terms of representation. “I think there’s very little representation but it’s not really their fault… I’m not really sure what could be added in terms of representation but the TV screen in the cafeteria is a great start,” Howard explained.
