Students observing Ramadan can break their fasts with meal accommodations in Fresh Food Company thanks to a collaborative effort between Hilltopper Nutrition and the Muslim Student Association (MSA).
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It involves fasting between dawn and dusk. Each day, the fast starts with suhoor, a meal before sunrise, and ends with iftar, a meal after sundown.
The table is located near the condiment bar. There, students can get iftar in the evening and to-go boxes for suhoor the next morning.
Hilltopper Nutrition stated meal accommodations are important for promoting WKU’s diverse community.
“The Ramadan table is important because it provides culturally and religiously appropriate food for Muslim students observing Ramadan,” Hilltoper Nutrition stated. “It also promotes inclusivity and fosters a sense of community, ensuring students feel supported during their religious observances.”
The table is open every afternoon from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. It will be closed over spring break.
“It’s really nice to have, and I have heard from Muslim students that they really do appreciate it,” said Jihad Mansour, MSA brothers coordinator. “I think it’s really nice to see that people are benefiting from it, and it is serving the purpose we intended it for.”
MSA members explained Ramadan is an important time of self-improvement and closeness with Allah. They said fasting helps to build discipline they can take into other parts of their lives.
“It’s a very big test, in a way, to still keep up with classes and schooling and everything like that, even when you’re not as mentally focused,” Hosam Brula, Gatton Academy student, said.
Mansour led a religious talk, or halaq, last week to explain the goal of Ramadan further. There, Mansour said fasting during Ramadan helps keep people conscious of Allah.
“You’re trying to get closer to Allah,” Mansour said. “Fasting is just the vehicle that gets you closer to that.”
