The first officially iftar dinner in the U.S. was in 1805, when Thomas Jefferson hosted a Tunisian envoy celebrating Ramadan for a dinner at the White House. Tuesday’s event followed in that tradition, said Faizan Syed, executive director of of the Missouri chapter of the council.
“It’s an opportunity for people of all faiths and backgrounds to come together,” Syed said.
Mayor Lyda Krewson, Board of Alderman President Lewis Reed and Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner also attended the dinner. They and other guests who spoke publicly often greeted the crowd with the Arabic phrase, “Ramadan Mubarak,” which translates roughly to “blessed Ramadan.”
CAIR-Missouri Release Educator’s Guide to Ramadan as Fasting Moves into the School Year
(ST. LOUIS, MO, 5/2/19) – The Missouri chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MO) today released “An Educator’s Guide to Ramadan and Accommodating Muslim Students” as the month of fasting is due to begin next week.
[NOTE: Ramadan begins on or about May 6. Because the beginning of Islamic lunar months depends on the actual sighting of the new moon, the start and end dates for Ramadan may vary. Consult local Muslim organizations.]
SEE: 2018 CAIR-MO An Educator’s Guide to Ramadan and Accommodating Muslim Students
The 2019 Educator’s Guide to Ramadan provides guidance to understanding the unique challenges for Muslim students who fast in Ramadan, highlights religious accommodation options for schools as well as gives general advice on how to create a more welcoming environment to better student’s education.
“Ramadan is a month of fasting in which Muslim students abstain from eating and drinking from break of dawn to sunset. This presents unique challenges to Muslim students especially in an educational environment,” said Faizan Syed, executive director of CAIR-MO. “Whether it’s finding accommodations for Muslim students during lunch, advice on whether students should participate in physical education, or how to deal with medication for fasting students, this short guide dives into these various topics.”
Some key findings of the 2019 Educator’s Guide to Ramadan:
Ramadan this year will be from around May 6 till June 4 followed by the religious celebration of Eid-Al-Fitr. Students will be fasting for roughly 15.5 hours.
Ramadan is based on the lunar calendar and moves back 10 to 11 days every year. An entire generation of Muslim students have grown up with Ramadan occurring during summer break. 2019 will be the first year in nearly a decade when Ramadan returns to the school year.
Schools should consider alternatives for fasting students during lunch time. These alternatives should also take into consideration that lunch time is also an opportunity for students to socialize with their friends. Avoid providing alternatives that isolates fasting students during Ramadan.
During Ramadan, one’s body adjusts to fasting and students are typically able to continue to participate in physical activities without putting themselves at risk or danger. Educators should still take caution and have conversations with fasting students who may find physical activities too strenuous while fasting.
“This is an educational opportunity for school administrators and teachers to better understand Ramadan, the impact it will have on their Muslim students, and to explore policies to create a better learning environment,” said Imam Djilali Kacem of Dar-Al-Jalal Masjid. “Many Muslim students might be too shy or don’t know how to have these conversations with their teachers or peers. This is a helpful guide that we believe schools across the region will find beneficial.”
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR-Missouri Executive Director Faizan Syed, 314-330-2946, E-Mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, E-Mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 4/25/19) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization today welcomed this afternoon’s landmark victory in CAIR’s First Amendment lawsuit on behalf of Bahia Amawi, the Texas speech language pathologist who lost her job because she refused to sign a “No Boycott of Israel” clause.
The CAIR Legal Defense Fund filed the lawsuit in December 2018 challenging Texas Anti-BDS Act, H.B. 89. CAIR actively challenges similar measures around the country, including in Arizona and Maryland.
This afternoon Judge Pitman of the Western District of Texas issued a 56-page opinion striking down H.B. 89, the Texas Anti-BDS Act, as facially unconstitutional.
The Court held that the Texas Anti-BDS Act “threatens to suppress unpopular ideas” and “manipulate the public debate” on Israel and Palestine “through coercion rather than persuasion.” The Court concluded: “This the First Amendment does not allow.”
Every single “No Boycott of Israel” clause in every single state contract in Texas has today been stricken as unconstitutional. The Attorney General of Texas is no longer permitted to include or enforce “No Boycott of Israel” clauses in any state contract.
Bahia Amawi can also now return to work as a speech language pathologist. Amawi received the news of her victory while driving, and pulled over to the side of the road to shed tears of joy. “God is great,” she exclaimed.
“We thank our legal team for this major victory and we thank the community for supporting this work,” said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad.
“We’re gearing up for the fights in the other 26 states where anti-BDS laws have been passed and we are certain that we are on the right side of the constitution and history.”
“Arabic-speaking schoolchildren in Texas have been deprived of critical services from Bahia Amawi for almost this entire schoolyear because of this unconstitutional law,” said CAIR National Litigation Director Lena Masri. “Today we welcome a victory for the First Amendment.”
“This is a complete victory of the First Amendment against Texas’s attempts to suppress speech in support of Palestine,” said CAIR Senior Litigation Attorney Gadeir Abbas. “More importantly, it’s a complete victory for all Texans, to engage in political speech without government censorship.”
“The First Amendment blocks any effort by state governments or the federal government from forcing their citizens to take sides in the widespread international debate about the relationship between Israel and Palestine,” said CAIR Trial Attorney Carolyn Homer. “This is a lesson all public servants should remember when considering Anti-BDS measures around the country.”
“Bahia Amawi has been an inspiration to the Muslim community and all advocates for free speech in Texas,” said CAIR-Austin Executive Director Maira Sheikh.
CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Litigation Director Lena Masri, 202-642-4934 , This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; CAIR Senior Litigation Attorney Gadeir Abbas, 720-251-0425, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; CAIR Trial Attorney Carolyn Homer, 202-516-4724, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; Maira Sheikh, CAIR-Austin Executive Director, 512-785-7105, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Mojda Sidiqi wants every woman to feel like a work of art.
But that can be a challenge — particularly for those who want less revealing clothing that fits their personal and religious beliefs.
Sidiqi is among a small group of St. Louis fashion designers working to create more modest clothing options for women. They held their first Modest Muslim Women’s fashion show over the weekend as part of the Council on American-Islam Relations in Missouri’s third-annual art exhibition. The show featured various types of “modest wear” — a style of clothing for which demand is growing worldwide.
The first officially iftar dinner in the U.S. was in 1805, when Thomas Jefferson hosted a Tunisian envoy celebrating Ramadan for a dinner at the White House. Tuesday’s event followed in that tradition, said Faizan Syed, executive director of of the Missouri chapter of the council.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mojda Sidiqi wants every woman to feel like a work of art.
