After a year of isolation, Muslims gather for Ramadan
Bridgeport’s Islamic Community Center remains cautious during pandemic
BRIDGEPORT — As area Muslims observe Ramadan this year, they are also celebrating the in-person fellowship absent not just from 2020’s holy month but the past year the coronavirus pandemic kept people apart.
“Everyone is happy,” said Imam Mohamed Abdelati of the Bridgeport Islamic Community Center on State Street. “The people are excited because they didn’t come last year. This is the first time in our life to have something like this and not to go to the mosque during Ramadan. It was very tough for everyone.”
Ramadan — which this year lasts from April 12 to May 12 — is marked
by fasting, worship and charity with an emphasis on large prayer gatherings and festive meals.
The global COVID-19 health crisis struck Connecticut in March 2020, shuttering businesses, canceling events and forcing the public to stay home as much as possible to stop the illness’s spread. Faith organizations in general were forced to adapt and offer on-line services to members.
And the sudden sense of isolation at the time was particularly acute for major faiths — Muslims, Jews and Christians — that, respectively, celebrate Ramadan, Passover and Easter in the spring.
With more and more people getting vaccinated, Gov. Ned Lamont in March reduced some of the pandemic-related health restrictions, including eliminating capacity limits on houses of worship. But the need to take precautions — wearing masks and staying six feet apart — remains, and social distancing rules means full capacity is not really full capacity.
Dr. Khaled Elleithy, president of the Bridgeport Islamic Community Center’s Board, said the facility — formerly the United Congregational Church — is large enough to accommodate 800 to 900 people.
“Currently, we can go up to maybe 300 in keeping the social distancing,” Elleithy said. “The facility itself has different prayer rooms.”
But, he added, the livestreaming will remain “for those who could not come.”
When the Islamic center moved into the landmark congregational church in 2017, its members pledged to continue the latter’s tradition of community outreach. And the members have kept that promise, particularly during the pandemic.
Elleithy said the food pantry has been serving more than 90 families a week: “We never stopped the food pantry during the pandemic. It continued and it’s very busy as usual.”
And, Abdelati said, the center also last month hosted coronavirus vaccinations for people ages 45 and older, with the second shots scheduled for this month.
“There is almost 100 people that got vaccinated,” Abdelati said.
While health officials in Bridgeport, state and nationwide have been working to convince skeptics in the Black and Hispanic communities to get inoculated, Elleithy said he has not experienced much hesitation among his congregants.
“There is not many people who are reluctant to get vaccinated,” Elleithy said.
So next Ramadan there may be even more to celebrate.
“We hope by the end of the year we have more normal activities and people can gather and do more,” he said.