Fast-A-Thon helps nonprofit kitchen

Hungry from a long day of fasting, more than 70 students gathered in the Forest Quad dining hall to celebrate the end of the Fast-A-Thon that took place Tuesday as a part of Islam Awareness Week.

The Fast-A-Thon, put on by the Muslim Student Union, was created to raise awareness about Islam and its customs and to support the homeless community in Bloomington through donations to the Community Kitchen of Monroe County. Fast-A-Thon in previous years has been during the month of Ramadan, but this year, the MSU decided to have it during Islam Awareness Week.

“This is our real big event of the year. It gives students a chance to understand a spiritual Islamic custom, and it raises humanitarian awareness of the insanely high poverty levels in Monroe County,” said Taufik Chhotani, vice president for the Muslim Student Union.

After a brief introduction, Hassan Lachheb, an associate professor in the religious studies department, led attendees in a hymn prayer and spoke on the importance of fasting in Islam.

“Fasting is a spiritual practice. When we fast, we eliminate our bodily needs and have our spirituality strengthened. It allows us to see the world clearly and see how we can contribute to the goodness of the world,” Lachheb said. “When more than 40 million kids in North America are underfed, you cannot fathom that feeling unless you put yourself in that situation. Fasting raises awareness that we have to do something for the people around us.”

The Muslim Student Union hoped to reach out to non-Muslim IU students and help them experience fasting, one of the five pillars of Islam.

“This is the number one opportunity for us to invite non-Muslims to get to know us and experience what fasting feels like,” said sophomore and MSU member Minahil Tariq. “It means a lot to us that others are interested and want to know more about Islam and give back to the community.”

After a representative from the Community Kitchen thanked participants for their efforts, a prayer service was held before participants enjoyed a feast that included food from numerous sponsoring restaurants in Bloomington.

Junior Keelan Armstrong fasted and said he experienced the Islamic tradition and felt more connected to those facing hunger.  

“It was interesting to understand what Muslims go through for Ramadan or addressing the hunger issues within Bloomington,” Armstrong said. “It really does put it in perspective that it wasn’t even a full day we experienced but it was still so difficult. So for a person with no means to food, it’s a completely different world and spectrum of hunger.”

The Fast-A-Thon proceeds will go to the Community Kitchen to help with programming efforts, renovations and expansion. Students were encouraged to volunteer and advocate to help stop hunger in Bloomington. The Fast-A-Thon was one of several events for Islam Awareness Week that will continue through Saturday.