600 students to ‘go hungry’

“Go hungry so someone doesn’t have to.” This is the motto that students participating in this year’s Muslim Student Union’s Ramadan Fast-a-Thon are abiding by. \nThe annual event raises money for the Bloomington Community Kitchen. It only lasts a day, but it can inspire a lifetime of awareness of poverty and religious tolerance, said Muslim Student Union President Myeda Hussain. \nToday, beginning at 6:26 a.m., more than 600 IU students have pledged to begin a fast that prohibits them from eating and drinking. Although the Muslim Student Union hosts the event, none of the 600 students are Muslim, as the event is intended for non-Muslims in order to raise awareness and solidarity between different religions, Public Relations Chair Omair Ali said. \nParticipants are expected to fast until 7:36 p.m. today, at sundown, when the fast will be broken with “iftar,” or a feast that ends the fast. \nDozens of local restaurants donated food for the feast, in addition to more than $900 for the Bloomington Community Kitchen. Both Muslims and non-Muslims will dine on ethnic food from Shanti, Bombay House, Anatolia, the MAC Grill and Turkuaz, Hussain said, in addition to pizza from Mother Bear’s and dessert from Scholar’s Inn Bakehouse. \nThe fellowship of Fast-a-Thon is only a minor part of the Ramadan experience. \n“During Ramadan, Muslims are required to fast for 30 days from sunup to sundown,” Hussain said. “The sacred month allows Muslims the humbling opportunity to experience the lifestyle of the thousands of hungry people across the globe. Since one of the lessons of fasting is experiencing hunger, members of the Muslim Student Union believe it is a great opportunity to allow others to experience the same sensation while helping those who are hungry within our local community.” \nAli agreed, adding that “getting people to experience such a powerful phenomenon as hunger can be very inspirational in increasing philanthropy and charity.”\nPublicity Chair Karimah Aziz talked of the importance of the community aspect of Ramadan. \n“Ramadan is a time of community, purity and time to humble one’s self,” she said. “If these concepts were applied to IU and the community, it would promote community involvement, doing, thinking proper things and realizing that we are not the center of the universe and have many things to appreciate.” \nBefore breaking the fast, participants are invited to share their experience, discuss the month of Ramadan and talk about the awareness of poverty at 6:30 p.m. at the Forest Greenleaf Cafeteria.\n “Not only is the event one of solidarity,” Hussain said. “It teaches all of us a very valuable lesson – the lesson that we must be grateful.”