Growing up in Bartlesville, University College freshman Samirah Mohamad was one of the few to wear a Muslim head scarf, called a hijab.
But since coming to OU, Mohamad has found herself surrounded by other Muslims and participated in Tuesday evening’s Think Fast event.
“Coming here is almost a culture shock [being surrounded by so many Muslims],” Mohamad said, who was raised in the only Muslim family in Bartlesville.
Mohamad said she was surprised by the number of people who attended the event, sponsored by the Muslim Student Association.
“[I like] the camaraderie of being around all these people and knowing we’re getting a good message across about Islam,” Mohamad said.
Check out Natasha Goodell's experience fasting with Samirah Mohamad.
Think Fast is a campus event that was created by MSA to invite all students on campus to be a part of a day of fasting.
“I think, just like prayer, fasting is something that is a part of many faiths,” said Khadeeja Elyazgi, professional writing junior and MSA public relations officer. “It’s something that brings us together and allows us to learn more about each other through community.”
At the end of the day, all students were invited to attend Think Fast at 7 p.m. for a free dinner and a cultural learning experience about Ramadan and the Islamic faith.
“Fasting is a lot about dealing with internal battles,” Mohamad said. “It’s not about just being hungry or thirsty because you know you have that meal coming at 8 p.m., not everyone does.”
Mohamad, who has been fasting since Aug. 21, said she has become used to fasting and only recognizes times she is hungry occasionally throughout the day.
She said her first day of class was really hard because she was walking to class in the heat and was so thirsty, but she said it wasn’t unbearable.
“You have to remember that it isn’t just about yourself,” Mohamad said. “I have to motivate myself to keep pushing through.”
She said this is one of the months in the lunar calendar that fighting and wars are prohibited in the Islamic tradition.
During fasting, you can’t get angry with people, smoke, use foul language, eat, drink, be profane or have physical relations with the opposite sex, Mohamad said.
She said everyone tries to be a nice and caring person while fasting.
“By the time you break fast you’re starving and keep thinking about everything you can eat but then I can’t even finish half of my plate,” she said.
All the food that you do not eat while you are fasting makes the meal at the end of the day more meaningful, she said.
“Last year we went to Oliver Garden and that first taste of a breadstick was … wonderful,” Mohamad said.
Mohamad said a lot of people came to the Think Fast event because it had a lot of publicity.
“My friends and I were looking at the group and thought it would be a great way to get perspective about what they do, why they do it and how they do this,” said Colin Wilson, visual communication junior.
Wilson said he hopes to understand Muslims better through this and to be able to experience what it’s like to spend a day in their shoes.
“How do you love someone like God loves them if you don’t understand them?” Wilson said.
Wilson said fasting was very hard, as he saw all of the food on campus and smelled the food as he would pass by students coming from lunch, but he said he just remembered the people who go through this on a daily basis.
“Orphans go down the streets and they see the food and smell the food, but they don’t have the means to get it,” Wilson said. “And for us, it’s just like I’m missing lunch. But for them, they could possibly die.”
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christ0pher1 2 years, 8 months ago
Having lived in Bartlesville my entire life until enrolling in 2006 at OU, I strongly doubt Ms. Mohamad grew up in the only Muslim home in Bartlesville. Only about 35k people.