Local Muslims find new ways to connect
A focus on family during socially distanced observances
NORWALK — During each day of Ramadan, Muslims fast until the sunset prayer, after which family and friends enjoy a large meal called iftar, according to Azra Asaduddin, a teacher and volunteer with the Crescent Foundation of Connecticut, a Sunday school for Islamic children based in Norwalk.
But, like last year, the coronavirus pandemic has forced Muslims to find new ways to connect and honor the tradition, which began Monday.
“It was almost like an epiphany,” Asaduddin said of experiencing a subdued Ramadan last year. “Like this is what we are supposed to be doing: Staying home,
being grounded, just like when you have a blackout and you’re forced to do things that you don’t normally. The family sits around and plays boardgames and puzzles, reading books instead of watching TV.”
Traditionally, Ramadan is a social event, with dinner and tea drinking late into the night and festive meals with dishes specially made for the monthlong celebration.
Asaduddin said what she missed most about the traditional Ramadan, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, is connecting with her friends and extended family, but being forced to remain home with her family has allowed her to learn more about her children and connect with them on a new level.
Some Muslims in Norwalk remain unable to, or are uncomfortable with, praying and attending their local mosque, but have turned to family and introspection during the holiday that marks the Prophet Muhammad receiving the first of the revelations that make up the Islamic text, the Quran.
For Asaduddin, the rekindled connection with the holiday and her family brought about by the pandemic is something she intends to keep once the COVID-19 restrictions are eased in the future, along with the social aspect of previous Ramadan celebrations.
“I got to do all this stuff I don’t do, that was a lot like what we experienced,” Asaduddin said of last year’s celebration. “I know a lot of people want to go back to the partying . ... We eat a lot and drink a lot of chai and stay up all night pretending we are studying, but it’s really social.”
Three-year-old Nezar Hussein can’t remember a Ramadan like the ones his mother, Zineb Hussein, recalls, with large social gatherings and traditional Moroccan food.
Nevertheless, he said he likes to fast and follows the lead of his big brother, Ameer, 9.
“I come from a Moroccan family and we usually have all the time people around us,” Zineb said. “We invite each other over, that’s how it was. It doesn’t matter if you’re in the week or weekend — we were always together for iftar.”
Amid the pandemic Zineb, who moved to the United States from Morocco 12 years ago, has tried to keep the social and fun aspect of Ramadan alive despite not being able to visit the city’s mosque, with decorations around the house and activity books to teach her sons about Ramadan.
Zineb said being unable to attend Mass in person is what her family misses the most about Ramadan.
Despite the separation the pandemic has necessitated, Ameer became more serious about his religion and looked forward to the practice of fasting this year, his mother said. Ameer took an interest in the holiday decorations as well and takes pride in wearing his traditional Moroccan garb to school during the holiday, she added.
“We eat together after the fasting and it’s fun to spend time with your family,” Ameer said.
As for the traditional dishes, some of which are only cooked around the Ramadan holiday, Ameer’s favorite is a Moroccan chicken dish, which he