Muslim minorities in non-Islamic countries maintain their Ramadan customs and rituals at large to celebrate the blessed month of Ramadan every year.
All around the world, the holy month also has a distinct taste that is full of Ramadan tables.
Muslim immigrants brought with them their Ramadan customs and traditions to the countries of emigration to maintain a link between them, their countries of origin, and their spiritual bond. In recent years, manifestations of celebrating the month of Ramadan have become familiar in a large number of countries in the world that have Muslim minorities to try to preserve their social unity and highlight their religious identity.
Muslim minorities are keen to perform Taraweeh prayer, raise the call to prayer, and hold Qur'an courses and religious lectures. In Europe and the Americas, there is respect and appreciation for Muslims despite their small numbers. Islamic occasions such as Ramadan and the two Eids caught media attention as a result of the involvement of these minorities in politics and media.
Many politicians try to gain the sympathy of Muslims and work to integrate them into Western societies and send congratulations to them, as is the case with other religions and ethnicities. This is reflected in Muslims' social activity in the streets, squares, and conferences. For instance, changing the facade of shops owned by Muslims with Ramadan products, and allocating large areas, especially in Islamic centers, for seminars and meetings in the presence of government politicians and leaders of the main parties.
In India, the Muslim population is 172 million, representing the third largest number of Muslims globally after Indonesia and Pakistan, and the largest Muslim minorities in the world. After India, China has the second largest Muslim minority in Asia, with estimates suggesting that its 100 million.
In countries such as Burkina Faso, Central Africa, and Ivory Coast, where Muslims constitute a large percentage, close to a third or half, and they have political influence, Muslims there call for the implementation of their beliefs, the preservation of their identity, and the manifestation of their rituals, especially in the month of Ramadan.
As for Europe, the matter has been increasingly receiving more attention. The number of Muslims in Europe is approaching 44 million, according to a report by the Pew Research Center in 2016, and is expected that they will reach 8 percent of Europe's population by 2030. Despite the obstacles and Islamophobia Muslims face in some countries, the moral treatment of Muslim communities reflects good impressions of it, especially in countries such as the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, and Bulgaria, which host relatively large Muslim communities.
In Russia, Muslims represent between 7 and 15 percent of the population. Islam is the second largest religion in Russia after Christianity, and there are many mosques and centers frequented by thousands of Muslims, in addition to the autonomy enjoyed by the residents of Chechnya and Dagestan.
Some countries, such as the UK, US, Canada, and Australia, are witnessing a noticeable impact at the level of general or local governments that have developed legislation that allows Muslims to perform their worship freely, and some governments even resort to temporary measures in Ramadan to take into account the circumstances of Muslims.
In the US, an Iftar party held in the White House has become a political custom that has been followed for nearly two decades, as a representative of the American administration attends along with Muslim Congress representatives. In a state like Michigan, where the largest Arab community lives, the Arab and Muslim communities hold their own celebrations, especially in the cities of Dearborn and Hamtramck. The city of Minneapolis, Minnesota, allows the call to prayer to be raised in its mosques with an audible voice after members of the city council in which many Somalis and Bosnians reside, adopting such a resolution recognizes the importance of the holy month of Ramadan.
In Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau or his representative attends Iftar with representatives of a Muslim community annually since he assumed the presidency in light of the increase in the number of Muslims in the last 10 years. They now enjoy government sponsorship and organized work that reflects their identity.
Every minority naturally carries its Ramadan customs and local foods during the month of Ramadan to their country of residency to preserve some of the memories of their motherland. Between the number of long hours of fasting and the margins of leisure, the majority of Muslims seek to preserve their customs and gatherings together to replicate the spiritual and social atmosphere in their home country.
With the increase in the number of Muslim families, Muslim institutions established began to increase interest in fatwa, family issues, education and advocacy, the integration of newcomers, and the interaction of Muslim leaders with issues of defending their rights.
In conjunction with these transformations, Islamic centers take advantage to introduce the landmarks of the holy month through the media, before the beginning of the month, produce awareness programs about the reality of Islam and the role of Muslims and their involvement in societies, and hold public seminars to which people of other religions are invited to learn about the customs of Muslims and their families in the month of Ramadan, along with community Ramadan tables and charitable dinners to collect donations for needy Muslims in different countries.
Open discussions and public sessions are held, which sometimes reach the point of converting some non-Muslim guests to Islam. Islamic centers, especially during the holy month of Ramadan, witness the conversion of dozens of people who were affected by the contents of the holy month and the spiritual and social gatherings of Muslims. (QNA)
Source: Qatar News Agency