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From virtual iftars to free meals, our community spirit was a lifeline for many throughout the holy month despite the pandemic. Let’s build on that.
Zara Mohammed is the first woman Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain
This Ramadan has been special for many reasons, not just because it marked my first 100 days as Secretary General of Britain’s biggest Muslim umbrella organisation but also because of the sustained efforts all of our communities have put in to continue to keep safe and make a difference during this pandemic.
Ramadan is a sacred time, one filled with opportunity to increase in good, to show services to friends, neighbours and those most in need. It is a time to cherish our loved ones, be grateful for all that we have when many are still suffering.
British Muslim communities have shown an unyielding spirit during this holy month with mosques donating thousands of meals daily across the UK as well as providing much needed pastoral and spiritual care.
Families have found alternative ways to celebrate, with virtual iftars, socially-distanced prayers at the mosque and a more sustainable approach to the iftar itself, the meal for breaking the fast.
We have seen more environmentally-conscious behaviours as many Muslims focus on reducing waste and finding new ways to share, I know my neighbours and I love to do a biscuit swap!
This Ramadan, the Muslim Council of Britain shared our thanks to key workers with hot meals and gifts, I visited my local primary school with a box filled with goodies, a small token of thanks for those who have sacrificed so much.
Our health service, the NHS, and all of those who have been on the frontline have worked tirelessly to keep our communities safe, from doctors and nurses to bus drivers, taxi drivers, restaurant and takeaway staff, teachers and shop keepers, each doing their bit.
Among them we know so many Muslims who have given their lives in our national effort to overcome this pandemic.
I should also take a moment to recognise all the amazing services that local communities have provided at this time from youth helplines and mental health care support to foodbanks and grants for those suffering financial hardship.
I know that some community centres are the only lifeline for many international students who are unable to work and do not have access to financial means, this Ramadan they have been provided with essential meals and a community to belong to.
The Muslim Council of Britain also hosted an interfaith iftar to thank faith communities for how they have really shown us the importance of giving back and giving to all. It has taken a global pandemic to highlight deeply entrenched inequalities into our health-care system, social security, and economies.
This is why, now more than ever, we cannot go back to ‘normal’ - this is where ‘normal’ has gotten us.
The way in which communities from all walks of life have come together has shown us what a fairer and more just society can, and should, look like.
We must build a society based on the principles of social justice; reduce inequalities of income and wealth; and build a wellbeing economy that puts achievement of health and wellbeing at the centre of its strategy.
We’re so close to the light at the end of the tunnel and there is a sense of reimagining the way in which our society can work. That won’t be something we can achieve overnight and certainly it won’t be easy.
But going back to normal cannot be the answer.
So what have I learned in my first 100 days?
That our capacity to make a difference even when there are challenges around us relies on our willingness to see opportunities in crisis and to know we don’t have to do this alone.
Ramadan has been a beautiful time to remind all of us of our shared humanity and common good.
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