The month of Ramadan is a time of prayer, charity and reflection for Maryland's many Muslim communities. Traditional observance sees daily fasting, prayer and an evening breaking of fast—a meal called iftar.
Imam Yaseen Shaikh is Lead Resident Scholar and Head of Community Affairs at the Islamic Society of Baltimore. The ISB serves thousands of Muslims in the Baltimore area. Imam Shaikh often works as a bridge between Muslim families and school administrators to help ensure children receive the accommodations they need to learn.
In Maryland universities and colleges, student are asking for an expansion of religious accommodations on campus. Student leaders of various faiths say the rules governing excused absences for religious observance are unclear and vary professor to professor. For Muslim students, Ramadan can be an especially challenging time as they juggle daily observance and fasting with class time and homework assignments.
Hassan Ansari, president of the Muslim Student Association at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and Safiullah Rifai, president of the Muslim Student Association at the University of Maryland-College Park, join us to discuss working for better accommodations, and what its like to be religious among the increasingly non-religious student body.
