For the first time in several years, Boston University is helping Muslim students celebrate the religious, month-long holiday of Ramadan by providing them specialized meals for Iftar, or “break fast,” five nights a week at the West Campus dining hall.
BU Islamic Society President Yasir Bugrara said Muslims celebrating Ramadan are required to fast from sunrise to sunset each day for the 30-day period of the holiday, which began Oct. 4.
In order to accommodate BU students celebrating Ramadan, Dining Services Director Joshua Hubbard said his department has worked closely with students of the Islamic Society to construct a plan for providing Halal meals in the evenings for the break fast.
A Halal meal denotes a certain manner for slaughtering the animal eaten, and is the traditional Islamic way of eating meat, College of Arts and Sciences sophomore and Islamic society member Hamed Alenezi said.
Hubbard said on-site chefs cook the meals, while dining services works closely with Bugrara to understand the process and preparation guidelines for Halal.
“We make sure to purchase special meats and that there is no cross-utilization of any products,” Hubbard said.
The meals are offered Sunday through Thursday, and Bugrara said students usually meet at the 1019 Commonwealth Ave. study lounge at sunset to say a break fast prayer, and then walk to the West Campus dining hall, where a room is reserved specifically for them to eat a Halal meal.
Following the meal, BU hosts its version of night prayer, “Tarweeh,” from 8-9 p.m. at 1019. Bugrara said about 80-100 students attend the meals on the most popular nights, Tuesday through Thursday.
The Islamic Society and Dining Services have also worked together to accommodate those students without dining plans. Bugrara said the Islamic Society fundraises to provide reduced meal coupons for those students each night.
Vice President Nafeesa Rahman said it costs about $183-$200 per night to cover those without meal plans.
Hubbard said Dining Services agreed to the reduced meal coupon plan so that the entire BU Muslim community could come together to celebrate the holiday.
“The idea is that it is an inclusive process,” he said. “We don’t want to have anyone excluded.”
As far as eating before sunrise, Islamic Society Secretary Amir Naviwala said students either get Rhetty-to-go-Meals from dining services the night before or eat groceries on their own. He said some students gather in the mornings to eat.
Alenezi said he has yet to try the Rhetty-to-go-Meals for his morning meal, but thinks dining services is helping Muslim students at BU a great deal by providing the Ramadan dinners at West Campus.
“They make it easy for us here,” he said. “Giving us 1019 to pray [at] and the Halal food are great opportunities.”
On Friday and Saturday nights, Bugrara said students usually get together on their own and try to meet with other Islamic groups. He said last weekend students joined the Islamic Society at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for break fast and prayer.
In recent years, Bugrara said Muslim students would have Halal dinners at 1019 catered from outside restaurants. He said this year they made it a goal to work with Dining Services to provide Halal meals in the dining halls during Ramadan, and for other holidays throughout the rest of the year to make it easier for students to practice their faith at BU.
Hubbard said Dining Services had made attempts in past years to help students celebrate Ramadan in residence halls, but this is the first year in a while that they are providing the Halal meals for students on a regular basis.
Islamic Society member and College of General Studies freshman Yousuf Shaikh said BU and Dining Services are doing an adequate job of making Muslim students feel comfortable celebrating their faith.
“BU does a really good job of accommodating us,” he said. “We feel welcome here and free to practice our faith within the comfort of our school.”
CAS junior and Tulane University transfer student Nadaa Ali called the university’s efforts impressive.
“I think it’s been really easy,” she said. “Compared to [Tulane], the Muslim population is much greater, and it is easier to get involved here and recognize Ramadan. [At Tulane] we only met once a week. There was a small Muslim population and it wasn’t possible to get enough funds to do something on a regular basis.”
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