While many people think of breakfast as the first meal of the day, for those observing Ramadan, breaking the fast at sunset, known as Iftar, carries far deeper meaning.
Augustana students gathered for the college’s first Community Iftar of the year on Friday, Feb. 20, at 5:30 p.m. in Lindberg. The event was hosted in collaboration with several student organizations, including the Muslim Student Association (MSA), the Global Engagement Team (GET) and the Moroccan Student Union (MSU).
Organizing an event of this scale required extensive preparation. Junior Nepa Rajya Laxm Mahat Shahi, president of GET, said careful coordination and attention to detail were needed, particularly when securing an appropriate space for the gathering.
“For Iftar, we specifically need Lindberg because right before we start the event, the students who are celebrating Ramadan break their fast [and] we need a quiet space for them to do that, so they come up to the meditation room,” Mahat Shahi said.
The evening began with Muslim students gathering to pray before breaking their fast with a few dates and water. Afterwards, attendees shared a community meal featuring catered Indian dishes such as butter chicken, tikka masala and chicken biryani.
This year’s event also introduced new educational elements, including interactive games and a guest speaker, Dr. Lisa Killinger, who is known for helping guide people through the faith. These additions made the gathering more engaging while helping attendees learn more about Ramadan and its significance.
Junior Fati Talibi, social media chair of MSA, said the intention behind incorporating more activities into the program was memory recall and retention.
“The purpose of games, like a little Kahoot, is to have something that is more educational. You can learn a thing or two that you remember from the event, and also remind people of the purpose [of] Ramadan,” Talibi said.
These additions encourage meaningful interaction between Muslim students and community members who may not fully understand the purpose and significance of Ramadan. This also gives Muslim students at Augustana a chance to support one another and share insights about their faith.
Sophomore Ahmad Mahood Habib, president of MSA, said expanding the event creates more opportunities for conversation and understanding.
“Last year we went there, we opened the fast and then everybody had food and they just left,” Habib said. “If [you] don’t have any Muslim friends, you can’t ask anyone [to] tell [you] about it. What is it? Why do [we] fast, or, what’s the purpose of doing it?”
Through these reflections, the shared experience fosters mutual understanding on a diverse campus like Augustana. By intentionally creating spaces for dialogue, the Community Iftar gives students opportunities to ask questions, share perspectives and learn about traditions they may not encounter otherwise.
According to junior Bijaya Rana, vice president of GET, events like the Community Iftar are important because they bring students together in meaningful ways.
“These kinds of events kind of become like a bridge for domestic and international students to come together and get to know each other and celebrate,” Rana said.
With Ramadan ending on Thursday, March 19, students interested in participating can look forward to additional events in the coming weeks, including Eid al-Fitr, which is set to begin on March 19 and conclude on March 20.
