“Maybe this is Allah’s way of resetting a button for us.” Muslims across the U.S. have had to adjust how they marked the first week of Ramadan amid a pandemic. AP following several of them as they navigate a month typically centered around togetherness.
https://apnews.com/92d2478451433b7545897e6a503d7466
As they re-imagine some of the spiritual and social rituals, many are relying on a mix of at-home worship and a myriad of online religious programming. Virtual iftar options have sprung up so the devout don’t have to break their fast alone. But not all moments can be recreated on a screen. There will be dishes not shared, prayers not lifted together, hugs not given.But she looks for the blessings. She lives in a close-knit community in South Atlanta with dozens of other Muslim families.
“It’s going to be really difficult,” he said before Ramadan started. “I do have a lot of questions, and there’s a lot I want to observe and ask about.” His mom was upset when he told her he was considering Islam. “A lot of people seem to have that same conversation with their parents,” he says. Eventually, she came around. While on work trips to Saudi Arabia, she got him a prayer mat, a copy of the Quran, prayer beads and some dates. He has been saving the dates for breaking his fast during Ramadan.
“I was upset and confused, and I didn’t know if I was physically or mentally strong enough to be a frontliner,” she says. At times, she says, her faith wavered. “I’m going to take it in stages and try to fast while I’m at work,” she says. “But if I feel like I’m getting light-headed, I’m going to have to break it.”The An-Noor Cultural Center and masjid is located blocks from Elmhurst Hospital Center in Queens, where patients have been dying from COVID-19 at an alarming rate.
On this day, volunteers, including the imam’s son, help him sort food in the prayer area. When the time for afternoon prayer arrives, the men break and pray amid half-assembled food boxes filled with dates, cooking oil, vermicelli and potatoes, standing with a little extra room between them. Mohamed walked around the neighborhood as the azan blared out from the mosque and into the streets and buildings surrounding it. Hearing that, he says, took him back to when he was in Somalia.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
As states reopen, cities are staying shut. That could mean more coronavirus in rural America.Experts worry that staggered reopenings could give the virus more opportunity to spread.
Read more »
AP PHOTOS: Virus-era glimpses of a world without humansBeing human, the world of human beings is the one we tend to notice most. The crowds. The interplay of people. The buzz and bustle of what we call daily life. But sometimes, behind that...
Read more »
Do US-China tensions present an opportunity for Turkey?Turkey could be an ideal partner if the US seeks to shift its production away from China Opinion | ALICINAR
Read more »
AP PHOTOS: Virus-era glimpses of a world without humans.AP photographers documenting the era of COVID-19 were dispatched to chronicle a single theme: “Our Majestic World.” The goal: Capture a changing landscape that contains few — if any — humans and showcase the things that have taken their place.
Read more »
Chinese Embassy in France mocks U.S. coronavirus response with 'Once Upon a Virus' animated videoIn the video, the United States, represented by a Statue of Liberty figurine, calls China's lockdown orders 'barbaric' and a 'violation of human rights.'
Read more »
'Once Upon a Virus': China mocks U.S. coronavirus response in Lego-like animationChina has published a short animation titled 'Once Upon a Virus' mocking the U.S. response to the new coronavirus using Lego-like figures to represent the two countries.
Read more »