Changing Ramadan rituals: American Muslims Shifting Focus From Food to Community

The Washington Post highlights the change in Ramadan rituals and traditions over the course of moving from predominantly Muslim countries to the United States. Particularly since September 11th, 2001, Muslim Americans are using the holy month to engage in activism, organizing community iftars, holding Islam-related film viewings, lectures, and inter-faith events. These changes reflect the differences of being the minority in a majority Christian country, where Ramadan festivities are not made visible by default, but encourage Muslim Americans to actively organize such events. The article follows the cases of several Muslim Americans from various backgrounds, who discuss not the Americanization of Ramadan, but ways in which they have melded the two in their own lives.

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