Finding time for Ramadan and the MTA
The often thankless task of moving millions of people around New York City will become even more challenging for Muslim transit workers this month.
Ramadan, Islam’s holy month of fasting, begins Sunday. It is an essential part of the religion, and those practicing abstain from eating and drinking from sunrise to sundown.
Devout Muslims pray five times a day during the course of Ramadan, a requirement that can be tricky for some workers who are stuck on a bus or train on long runs.
Brooklyn-based bus operator Maeen Ali, 38, said he finds time to pray when he reaches the end of his line.
“If you see us bowing down on the bus, we’re praying,” said Ali. “It’s very hard for some people who follow. Not drinking or eating until 8 p.m. or 8:30 p.m. can be difficult, especially when it’s hot out.”
Ali is originally from Yemen and still has family in the war-torn country. He’s a cofounder of Mercy Bakery, an organization that funds free, public bakeries in Yemen and other countries in need. “Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam,” he says. “Charity is another one.” Some workers said Ramadan gets easier the longer you are on the job. Part of that is attributed to a more flexible schedule and more time off, which comes with seniority.
Talvis Dickens, 48, is a subway conductor who has worked for NYC Transit for nearly 20 years. He’s had to adapt to new schedules over the years, but has learned how to strengthen his body and mind in advance of Ramadan.
“It’s become easier for me towards the end of my career,” said Dickens. “Now I have a lot more vacation time to use.”
Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokesman Shams Tarek said the agency works to accommodate employees’ religious practices. The MTA has no data about its employees’ religions, but census data shows about 9% of New Yorkers are Muslim.
NYC Transit put a religious accommodation policy in place in 2012 that allows workers to put in requests for religious-oriented time off and schedule changes with advanced notice.
But many workers find places to pray wherever they can. “Sometimes I have to pray at the terminal in the locker room,” said Dickens. “The other day I had to pray while the train was going over the Williamsburg Bridge, when I didn’t have to attend to customers.”