DEARBORN, Mich. — While Muslim students remain a rarity in many U.S. school districts, they have a strong presence in some communities, prompting public schools to pay more attention to their needs during the holy month of Ramadan, when fasting from dawn to dusk is a duty of Islam.
For example, in Dearborn, Michigan — where nearly half of the 110,000 residents are of Arab descent — public school teachers and staff are striving to make it easier for students to observe Ramadan.
“We allow students to practice their faith independently as long as it does not disrupt the school day,” said David Mustonen, spokesperson for Dearborn Schools. “We also try to find other spaces or activities in the school during lunch for students who may be fasting.”
But he emphasized that these students must still complete all assignments.
In St. Paul, Minnesota, East African Elementary Magnet School has set aside space in the library where students who are fasting and don’t want to be in the cafeteria can spend recess with other supervised activities such as reading, said Principal Abdisalam Adam.
The 220-student school opened last fall as part of the St. Paul’s public school system and shares that curriculum but also aims to strengthen cultural and linguistic ties with Somalia and other East African countries. Adam said about 90% of the students are Somali Muslims.
Adam, who has worked for the district for nearly three decades, said he told his staff that the flexible observance of Ramadan fits into the overall goal of caring for students.
“All needs are connected,” he said.
Resources are available for school districts less familiar with Islamic traditions. For example, Islamic Networks Group, a California-based nonprofit organization, provides online information for educators about Ramadan and its significance for Muslims, among other things.
Many districts “don’t know much about Islam or our holidays,” said Maha Elgenaidi, the group’s executive director. “If they don’t know much about it, they can’t offer students much in terms of housing” until they learn more and parents are actively involved in asking for housing.
She says fasting students may need to be excused from strenuous activities in gym class, and allowed to make up missed tests due to absences to celebrate the Eid al-Fitr holiday that follows Ramadan.
“If they do not receive care at school or if the school does not know about this, they lead a kind of double life.”
Fasting is not mandatory for young children, but many Muslim children like to fast to participate in the rituals of the month and to imitate parents and older siblings, ING said. Educators should also be aware of the typical changes in Muslim families’ routines during Ramadan, such as waking up for the “suhoor” meal before sunrise and staying up late to attend any prayers at the mosque, Elgenaidi said.
When Dr. Aifra Ahmed’s children were younger, the Pakistani-American doctor and her husband shared insights about Ramadan with their classmates, read a Ramadan story and handed out goodie bags with items like dates.
“I realized that the Muslim families have to do a lot of education in school,” said Ahmed, who lives in Los Altos, California.
Ahmed’s husband, Moazzam Chaudry, said gestures of goodwill, such as when teachers offer Ramadan greetings, send a message of inclusivity.
For immigrant families, that’s the first thing that naturally comes to mind: ‘Are we integrated into this society? Does this society even accept us?’” he said. “These small, little things have such a huge impact.”
Punhal, the couple’s daughter who attends a secondary school, said she takes physical education during Ramadan but skips running during fasting because she needs water afterwards.
She said some non-Muslim friends told her they would like to fast with her.
Naiel, her brother who attends a public high school, said he was happy when a teacher talked to the class about Ramadan and told him he could take a nap if he needed to.
He wants others to better understand why he fasts.
“A lot of kids and teachers think…I’m torturing myself or like it’s a diet,” he said. “When I’m fasting, I just feel a lot more gratitude toward everyone around me and toward people who don’t have as much.”
In Dearborn, 14-year-old Adam Alcodray praised Dearborn High faculty for their understanding during Ramadan.
“A lot of teachers are more lenient, so we can do less,” said Alcodray, a ninth-grader. “They don’t get angry because they realize we’re hungry.”
Alcodray says he fasts from 6:20 a.m. to about 8 p.m
“Honestly, it’s not that bad,” he said. “When you know you can’t eat, something clicks in your brain.”
Hussein Mortada, a 17-year-old senior at Dearborn High, said family solidarity is invaluable during Ramadan.
“In my family, everyone is fasting,” Mortada said. “Everyone is going through the same thing. The whole month is meant to get closer to God and make your religion stronger.”
This year, Ramadan has extra significance because of the hardships people in Gaza are experiencing during the war between Israel and Hamas, Mortada said.
“I feel helpless sitting here on my phone and watching everything that’s happening,” he said. “All you can do is sympathize with them and pray for them.”
Alcodray shared similar sentiments.
“When you look at what the children in Gaza eat, you appreciate what your mother makes,” he said. “If you’re having a bad day, realize what they’re going through.”
At the East African Magnet School in St. Paul, Marian Aden – who trains other teachers there – makes it a priority to encourage Ramadan-related accommodations for fasting students.
Aden said her youngest daughter, four-year-old Nora, woke up excited about the start of Ramadan on March 11, but her teachers in the suburb where they live were unaware of the occasion. Aden said she will be relieved when Nora goes to magnet school next year.
“She will be celebrated for who she is,” Aden said.
Minnesota has been home to a growing number of refugees from war-torn Somalia since the late 1990s. Several school districts have recently made Eid a holiday.
In Washington, DC, Abdul Fouzi has two daughters, ages 8 and 12, who have gradually learned the meaning and rituals of Ramadan.
Growing up in Sierra Leone in the 1980s, Fouzi said he was fasting all day at the age of 11. But he hasn’t pushed his eldest daughter to do the same.
“They’re still quite young, so they’re not ready to go all day without food or water,” he said. “They’re not built that way.”
Still, he wants them to get used to the idea; this year he wants them to experiment with fasting for half a day.
For Fouzi, more important than strict adherence to the rules at their age is their understanding of the meaning of Ramadan and the importance of praying for peace.
“They make up their own little rules and find loopholes to figure out how they want to participate and practice Ramadan in different ways, and that’s fine with me,” he said.
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Dell’Orto reported from Miami, Fam from Cairo and Sands from Washington.
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Associated Press religion reporting is supported by the AP’s partnership with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.