Washington, DC – Standing exterior the White Home, Mohamad Habehh positioned his proper hand on his face and closed his eyes in an indication of religious devotion, reciting the Muslim name for prayer.
“Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar [God is greatest, God is greatest].” The phrases introduced the top of a day of fasting as dozens of individuals gathered final week to protest towards President Joe Biden’s assist for Israel’s conflict on Gaza and an iftar meal the White Home was internet hosting for presidency staff.
The demonstrators had their very own iftar exterior, regardless of the gloomy climate that night, breaking their quick with dates, a shawarma sandwich and a bottle of water.
“Finish the siege on Gaza now. Free, free Palestine,” the gang chanted because the rain intensified, drenching a big Palestinian flag fluttering on the sting of Pennsylvania Avenue. “Not one other nickel, not one other dime, no more cash for Israel’s crimes.”
Their humble meal, preceded by communal prayers on the soaked pavement underscored the push by many Muslim People to prioritise Gaza activism in the course of the holy month, which is generally a time of pleasure and reflection.
“That is the least we might do for the individuals of Gaza at a time the place a few of these individuals can’t break their quick; a few of these individuals are ravenous,” Habehh, director of improvement on the American Muslims for Palestine nonprofit, advised Al Jazeera.
In Washington, DC, and throughout the US, the Palestinian trigger took centre stage throughout Ramadan amid the conflict on Gaza.
Muslim American communities rebuffed politicians who haven’t known as for a ceasefire, held fundraisers for Gaza and organised protests demanding an finish to the conflict.
“The theme across the nation for Muslim People has been Gaza,” Habehh mentioned.
“Whether or not it’s within the group prayers that we’re making throughout this month, whether or not it’s within the talks that we give, whether or not it’s within the occasions we host, Gaza has been fixed. A lot of our neighborhood members have made certain that their neighbours, their elected officers, all know the place they stand.”
Jinan Deena, a Palestinian American chef and activist who helped organise two fundraising iftars for Gaza within the Washington, DC, space throughout Ramadan, mentioned Muslims within the US are maintaining Palestine on the “forefront” of their strategy to the holy month this yr.
“Persons are feeling that it’s loads heavier than regular. They know that it’s not your typical Ramadan.”
‘Sombre’ Ramadan
Ramadan, which ends this week as Muslims the world over observe Eid al-Fitr, is normally a festive time for Muslims: extravagant meals, household gatherings, nighttime festivals and celebratory occasions.
However with famine threatening greater than two million individuals in Gaza amid the blockade within the territory, Muslim communities have toned down their celebrations.
As a substitute, this Ramadan, Muslim People channelled their vitality to lift funds for Gaza and organise political efforts demanding an finish to the conflict on the enclave, which has killed greater than 33,000 Palestinians.
In southeast Michigan – residence to one of the vital seen Arab and Muslim communities within the nation – town’s famend Suhoor Pageant was cancelled this yr, with organisers arguing that the joyous occasion can’t be justified amid the killings and ache in Gaza.
In earlier Ramadans, the pre-dawn occasion would draw a whole lot of individuals from throughout the state and the nation every night time to benefit from the meals vehicles and distributors.
Amad Elzayat, founding father of the Amity Basis charitable organisation, mentioned Arab and Muslim People in Michigan had a extra “sombre” Ramadan this yr.
“It has been completely different,” Elzayat advised Al Jazeera of the holy month this yr. “Seeing the youngsters in Palestine ravenous, what individuals in south Lebanon are going by means of, it was laborious for us to take a seat down and have a meal like we usually do in Ramadan.” South Lebanon has been the goal of a number of Israeli missile strikes for the reason that begin of the conflict on October 7.
He added that Arab and Muslim companies and people have upped their charitable donations with a concentrate on Gaza this yr.
“That is the primary yr the place I’ve seen the neighborhood actually come collectively for a trigger. Palestine introduced this neighborhood collectively. Gaza introduced us collectively on the proper path,” Elzayat mentioned.
Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi, who leads the Islamic Home of Knowledge, a mosque within the Detroit suburb of Dearborn Heights, additionally mentioned Gaza has been the principle precedence in spiritual sermons and Ramadan programming over the previous month.
“There isn’t a room for happiness or cause for happiness or temper for happiness as we comply with this information of recent crimes and new massacres in Gaza each second,” Elahi advised Al Jazeera.
The imam known as for scaling again Eid celebrations and sticking to vacation prayers targeted on Gaza and the Palestinian wrestle.
He additionally voiced disappointment in US politicians, hitting out at President Joe Biden’s “weak” management in supporting Israel.
Nonetheless, many staunchly pro-Israel politicians, together with Biden, have launched statements to acknowledge Ramadan and reward Muslim People.
Elahi mentioned US officers ought to strain Israel to finish its horrific offensive in Gaza, somewhat than utilizing Ramadan to make overtures to Muslim People.
“That is hypocrisy. This isn’t acceptable. That is betrayal,” he mentioned, referring to Biden’s “unwavering” backing of Israel.
Rebuffing politicians
Early in Ramadan, a number of Muslim teams warned native communities towards internet hosting politicians who haven’t known as for a ceasefire in Gaza to attend iftars and use the holy month for their very own electoral functions.
In Houston, Texas, that strategy was examined within the first half of the holy month, when dozens of Muslim leaders and organisations known as for boycotting an iftar dinner with Mayor John Whitmire, who had resisted requires backing an finish to the conflict on Gaza.
The Islamic Society of Better Houston, one of many largest Muslim teams within the US, disassociated from the iftar, which it helped co-organise over the previous 24 years.
Dozens of protesters subsequently interrupted Whitmire’s speech on the iftar on March 17, in keeping with native reviews and pictures shared on-line, many sporting purple gloves and holding up their arms to decry the bloodshed in Gaza.
William White, director of the Houston chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), mentioned whereas Muslim People realise that many – if not most – US officers assist Israel, the neighborhood had to attract a line for participating with politicians this Ramadan.
“This yr is completely different,” White advised Al Jazeera in March, citing the rising demise toll in Gaza.
“Condemning the killing of 30,000 individuals is very easy, I feel. In order that primary step of simply saying, ‘To ensure that us to take a seat collectively, it’s a must to name for a ceasefire’ is what the road was this yr. It’s bar-zero for Muslim political participation on this nation at this second.”
White added that it’s “preposterous” for politicians who haven’t known as for a everlasting ceasefire in Gaza to ship Ramadan greetings and declare to worth the Muslim neighborhood.
“We don’t settle for it. We don’t need it. You’ll be able to take that and provides it to any person else as a result of clearly you don’t serve us and also you’re not listening to us,” he mentioned.
In Columbus, Ohio, town council cancelled an iftar dinner after CAIR withdrew its assist for the occasion in protest towards the native authorities’s failure to undertake a ceasefire decision.
A number of municipalities throughout the nation have handed such measures.
In New York Metropolis, distinguished Muslim teams additionally shunned an iftar organised by Mayor Eric Adams, a staunch Israel supporter.
Shahana Hanif, the one Muslim lady on town council, known as for boycotting Adams’s iftar even earlier than the holy month began.
“Yearly, regardless of how our mayor is doing, the Muslim neighborhood comes out in our most lovely clothes, we overlook our variations with the mayor, and we present up,” Hanif mentioned of town’s annual iftar.
“And we mentioned this yr: we’re grieving; we’re mourning, and we have now to withhold our assist for this mayor.”
Hanif added that she by no means obtained an invite to the mayor’s iftar, which passed off on March 19.
She described the occasion, which was not open to the press, as a poorly attended “flop”.
Ramadan activism
With starvation spreading in Gaza this yr, the act of fasting – not consuming meals and water from dawn to sundown – took a deeper which means for a lot of Muslims this yr. And the enjoyment that comes with breaking one’s quick has been dampened by the shortage of entry to meals for a lot of Palestinians.
Whereas advocates stress that Palestinians’ wrestle for his or her rights shouldn’t be based mostly on faith, their trigger stays essential for Muslims around the globe.
Jerusalem is residence to Islam’s third holiest web site, Al-Aqsa Mosque, the place worshippers frequently come below assault and restrictions by Israeli forces.
Furthermore, Palestinian and Arab communities within the US, that are religiously various, overlap with the broader Muslim neighborhood.
Muslim American activists additionally say Ramadan supplies the neighborhood with a platform to talk up towards injustice whatever the id of the victims.
“Ramadan is a second of deep neighborhood and collective power-building and reflection. And for me as an elected official, it is a chance to strengthen and reaffirm that energy that we have now,” mentioned councilwoman Hanif.
Edward Ahmed Mitchell, the deputy director of CAIR, mentioned Muslim People are spreading consciousness in regards to the Palestinian wrestle and fascinating with others on the problem throughout Ramadan.
“However they’re emphasising the significance of stopping the Gaza genocide, they usually’re making it clear that politicians who assist the Gaza genocide are usually not welcome to have fun Ramadan with us,” Mitchell advised Al Jazeera.