Supporting Muslim Students during the Month of Ramadan

Reading Time: 4 minutesRamadan is one of the biggest religious festivals that Muslims celebrate every year.  The timing of Ramadan varies each year and is determined by the first sighting of the crescent moon. Practicing Muslims do not eat, drink, or smoke from sunrise to sunset. Each day of the month begins with a pre-dawn meal, suhoor, and ends with iftar, the fast-breaking meal at sunset which can be quite late in Ontario. For example, in April the fast-breaking time is approximately 7:55 pm or later and in June the fast-breaking time could be as late as 8.50 pm. For many practicing Muslims, it is traditional to perform a communal prayer at a Mosque or home during Ramadan after Iftar (to be exact after the last prayer of the day). The fasting period lasts for a month culminating in Eid al-Fitr. You may have some Muslim students in your classes who observe this extensive period of fasting, and who may need some additional support from the course teacher. “Lack of understanding of religious sensibilities upholds the risk of religious rights being ignored in the everyday life of the school” (Rissanen, 2020, p. 146). You may want to consider the following needs and suggestions for the Muslim students in your course:

Reduced Energy during the Class

If someone is fasting from sunrise, by the time the evening class starts, he/she will be tired. You may see some tired people during your daytime classes as well. Be considerate if those students are a little laid back in the class. The initial few days of fasting may cause headaches and dizziness because the body is in the process of adjusting to new eating habits. As a Professor, suggest students plan ahead for their assignments and be flexible if they request additional time for assignments.

Test/Quiz during Iftar

If you already know that you have someone who is fasting in your class, please do not place the in-class tests or quizzes during Iftar time which would be approximately 20 minutes. Also, be considerate if students need extra time to complete the in-class quizzes/tests. For some students, it will be difficult to fully concentrate on the examination after 16/17 hours of fasting.

Fast Breaking Time

A student may need a little break during the sunset to break the fast and offer prayer in your evening classes. The right to religious observations is protected in Ontario. If the students request, you must allow them to go out of the class and come back after a while. This should take around 15 to 20 minutes. Alternatively, if you know that one of your students needs an Iftar break, you may consider giving your class a break during the Iftar time. In this way, the student will not miss a chunk of your lesson. The communal prayer takes longer so it might not be possible for the students to participate in those prayers if they still want to continue to be in the class.

Request for Leave

After a month of fasting when Eid-Ul-Fitr comes, you must accommodate students if they request a change to the assessment date. Conestoga’s Religious Holiday Policy states, “ students who want to observe recognized religious holidays at times when academic requirements conflict with those observances will be accommodated.” For final and mid-term exams that are often scheduled centrally, discuss with your chair if you have a student request for accommodations. Please note that Faculty can only change a date upon a student request.

Layout the Expectations

Let students know how and when they can request religious accommodations if they need them. Please read the Religious Holiday Procedure so that you know what to tell your students. Also, post this document in your course shell. During Ramadan, let the students know that they can request Iftar/prayer breaks during the class.

From personal experience, for me, Ramadan is a tradition- a part of my cultural upbringing. I may not fast, but I try to maintain the Iftar ritual at home and celebrate Eid with friends and family – Nasreen For my family and I, it was a cherished time to spend together – A Conestoga community member

So, you may have Muslim students who may not fast but may want accommodation or alternative options, because they probably want to celebrate some of the cultural aspects of Ramadan. Ramadan also includes sharing gifts with family, charity, and introspection. Please consider the following suggestions:

• Do not ask the students publicly whether they fast or not. Research indicates that because of the misrepresentations and media portrayals of Muslims, many Muslims may not feel comfortable engaging in a public discussion about their faith and practices  (Alizai, 2021; Mubarak, 2007).
• Do not engage into any discussions around faith and practices in the classroom (applicable in general).
• If you notice that a student suddenly has started wearing visual religious markers, please do not question them. Many Muslims around the world try to practice some of the religious aspects when it is Ramadan because it is considered the holiest month of the year.  

The bottom line is be considerate of all religious accommodations. As Professors, we need to ensure all students are supported by us. If there is something that you are not sure about,  feel free to reach out to Teaching and Learning.

References:

Alizai, H. (2021). Impact of Islamophobia on Post-Secondary Muslim Students Attending Ontario Universities. Race, Ethnicity and Education, 24(3), 357–374. Mubarak, H. (2007). How Muslim students negotiate their religious identity and practices in an undergraduate setting. SSRC Web Forum, 1-12. http://religion.ssrc.org/reforum/Mubarak.pdf. Rissanen, I. (2020). Negotiations on Inclusive Citizenship in a Post-secular School: Perspectives of “Cultural Broker” Muslim Parents and Teachers in Finland and Sweden. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 64(1), 135–150.