We landed on the banks of River Clyde in Glasgow, the cloudy and rainy country. Months flew by till it was time for Ramadan. I discovered a big Muslim community that I was not aware of their existence.
Heba Hendawi
One day, I found myself departing my homeland to another country for a 3 year residency. I had mixed feelings of excitement and fear. The idea of having all the religious seasons far away on a foreign land crossed my mind and filled me with awe. I thought of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting with all its rituals and special moments and I wondered how it would be there in Scotland. No family and no “adhan”; calling for the prayers and no overall jubilation in the streets and on people’s faces. In Egypt, on this very month, people play traditional songs in the shops, malls and everywhere. You feel the vibes let alone all the specialty food and sweets. I was sure that a completely different Ramadan was ahead of me but I was not sure how it would look like. Questions filled my head as to whether I would find a Muslim community there in the first place and whether there would be any spirit for the special month!
We landed on the banks of River Clyde in Glasgow; this cloudy and rainy country. Months flew by till it was time for Ramadan. My children were doing well at school. One day, my son returned home with a letter from his head teacher. I read the message and to my surprise it was a congratulation letter for the advent of our sacred month of fasting. The teacher stated that they were aware that some students would be fasting and she was inquiring if I would prefer my son not to take the break in the playground and rather sit in the library to avoid exhaustion. Moreover, she was inquiring if I would prefer that he reads a specific book while fasting or that the school would just suggest a book for him to read. She also asked if there was any special rituals that he should perform other than praying. I ended the letter with feelings of surprise and content. I was surprised at the tolerance and acceptance that I had no idea that they existed explicitly like this at schools. I was overwhelmed by the kind gesture and respect that they showed. The Scottish people not only accept our existence among them but also were willing to help us perform our rituals in full. I was filled with gratitude and a nice memory that would last forever.
We were people of different ethnical backgrounds, accents and even languages united by one religion and one month of fasting! Turkish, Kurdish, Libyan, Algerian and Pakistani dishes were side by side by our Egyptian food.
Soon, I discovered a big Muslim community that I was not aware of their existence. A big Arab and non-Arab ethnicities were there sharing the same religion on this remote spot. We gathered round a hearty banquet of food from different cuisines that I never tasted before. Turkish, Kurdish, Libyan, Algerian and Pakistani dishes were side by side by our Egyptian food. We were together making up for the missed families far away. We chatted, ate and laughed. We shared stories about Ramadan and its traditions in each country. What an atmosphere I never dreamed of!
As for our small Egyptian community, we circled around typical food and Egyptian dishes. Thanks to technology, we were able to connect to our broadcasts and TV channels and we were not missing the vibes even if overseas. We challenged ourselves to make traditional sweet dough from scratch. Some recipes were a success while other a big failure but we tried and were satisfied with the idea of endeavoring. We were happy to be together and this was all what mattered.
Years passed and were back to Egypt with a bunch of unforgettable moments and memories of cheer happiness. We had 3 different Ramadan experiences. We did not miss the prayers as Glasgow Central Mosque was our destination always yet we miss it now. We were people of different ethnical backgrounds, accents and even languages united by one religion and one month of fasting!
Published under the International Cooperation Protocol with Middle East Business | Life Magazine Abu Dhabi
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