To inform students about Islamic culture, the Student Events and Activities (SEA) Board is collaborating with the International Muslims Association at NSU (IMAN) and the Pakistani Student Association to host the second annual Fastathon on Nov. 16.
The event will consist of a table in the UC Pit from 12-2 p.m., where students can try henna and wear hijabs, and a dinner from 6-8 p.m. in the Flight Deck featuring a guest speaker who will talk to students about Ramadan and Islamic culture.
Divy Mehra, senior biology major and multicultural and diversity chair for SEA Board, said the idea of Fastathon is for students to fast if they want to and that this event is meant to bring awareness to the biggest Islamic holiday, Ramadan.
“During [Ramadan], they take part in fasting,” he said. “What we’re trying to do is bring awareness to that fasting process and how it differs from other types of fasting traditions.”
Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam. According to Sarah Shareef, senior biology major and IMAN’s vice president of external affairs, fasting is a major part of Islam, along with belief in God, prayer, pilgrimage and charity. She said that during the month of Ramadan Muslims wake up at sunrise to eat and pray then fast throughout the day until sunset.
Shareef also said that a lot of colleges hold Fastathons.
“It encourages people to try fasting for a day, whether or not they start from sunrise,” Shareef explained. “It’s not just a religious thing, but it has a lot of health benefits. Muslims aren’t the only ones who can fast. Anyone can fast.”
Shareef said that she’s looking forward to hearing about the experiences of people who fast during the event.
“I feel like whoever attends should get a new experience from it, whether it’s becoming more open-minded and seeing what it’s like to fast, or seeing that it’s…a spiritual experience as well as a religious experience,” she said.
According to Mehra, Islamic culture is not well understood and often mischaracterized.
“The more students are acclimated to that culture, the better they’re able to understand the students around them, and just be more aware of all the different cultures that are present in the United States and around the world,” Mehra said. “Islam is the world’s second-largest religion. It’s important for students to understand what the culture is.”
Mehra said that taking part in Fastathon will benefit students in the long run, but that it might require them to step outside their comfort zone.
“There are a lot of Muslim students who not only attend this university but are present in our communities,” he said. “The better we’re able to understand them the more unified and diverse our country’s population will be.”
For more information about Fastathon, contact SEA Board at 954-262-7223 or sea-board@nova.edu.
