By Randa Kuziez
When Ramadan began, I called my sister and said, “This year, I want to feel like I really earned Eid!” Eid is the Muslim holiday following Ramadan, the holy month of fasting from dawn to sunset daily. She assured me that with the 16 hour fast in Kansas this summer, that wouldn’t be a problem. For a Muslim in Ramadan, this means fasting the entire month, but also increasing one’s worship and good actions, such as reading the entire Quran, praying the daily Taraweeh prayer (an extra prayer in Ramadan that takes about 2 hours every evening), and giving much in charity, be it money, time, or even a smile.
Aside from spiritually enriching ourselves, we need to step up to challenges as they arise. From the tragic shooting at the Sikh Gurdwara in Wisconsin to the burning of the Joplin mosque, we knew we needed to come together. We often discuss the importance of interfaith cooperation and this was a clear example of necessary action.
The day of the Joplin incident, I received a call from a friend who had read a blog I wrote about my visit to Joplin after the devastating 2011 tornado. I wrote about how the Islamic Center of Joplin hosted volunteers who came to do relief work.
