Understanding Ramadan and your Muslim neighbors

Muslims are among the most misunderstood and discriminated against religious people in the world including in the West and in America. Yet their religion is driven by "peace" and helping those in need

By Ray Hanania

FREE/Religion, Islam, Ramadan, Muslims/FREE Feb. 28, 2025

Muslims are among the most victimized by racism, discrimination, and misunderstanding in America and the West, more than any other religion.

One reason is that in the West, unlike other religions, Muslims get little government support to showcase who they are, their events, the many cultures the religion expands, and the history of their religion.

Instead, Islam becomes a platform for political conflict from many activists who use racism and discrimination as fuel for their own empowerment.

In America, one tragic strategy of politics is to highlight someone or something as the “boogeyman,” the bad person or bad movement, and rally support against them to enhance your own leadership. When you lead people to hate someone, those followers spend less time on the failures of the leader. “Hate” is a device used to deflect public attention away from the leadership flaws and shortcomings of an aspiring leader.

Over the years, even long before Sept. 11, we saw a rise in Islamophobia in America and very little was being done by mainstream society and government. The most important isn’t just the words we hear from politicians, government officials, and community leaders, who condemn Islamophobia.

Anyone can and should condemn Islamophobia.

But what really counts is what they do to not only condemn Islamophobia but to also counter or act against Islamophobia.

Image by starline on Freepik

How much money in Federal and State grants have been given to the Muslim community to counter Islamophobia, compared to the millions given to other religions to counter hatred, anti-Semitism, sexual orientation discrimination, racism, and more?

Muslims and Arabs in America get very little in Federal and State support so more needs to be done.

But fighting hate starts in the home, in the family, and is a community effort.

In Orland Park, which has the fastest-growing Arab American and Muslim Community, the Orland United organization has done a great job of bringing the community together in a positive way to educate their neighbors about who they really are.

One of the group’s many good leaders is Yousif Zegar, who raised the issue of acknowledging the growing community when he addressed the Orland Park Village Board of Trustees in February 2024. At the time, Zegar asked if the board would consider a Ceasefire Ordinance for Gaza, as the board previously did for Ukraine. Instead of listening and considering the request,w which was made professionally and politely, Mayor Keith Pekau attacked the Arab and Muslim community and told them to “go to another country.”

Ironically, the racist comment from Pekau helped to fuel the coming together of the Arab and Muslim community in Orland Park under the monicker “Orland United,” a precedent-setting event that never happened previously.

Over the past five decades, I have covered several events involving anti-Islamic attacks and politics. (I have often been the victim of anti-Islamic hate even though I am not Muslim.)

The first conflict was the building of the Bridgeview Mosque in the 1980s.

Years later, in 2000 and 2004, two major events of anti-Muslim public action occurred: When Muslims purchased a church property in Palos that was closing to convert into a Mosque; and, when Muslims in Orland Park in 2004 began the construction of the impressive Orland Prayer Center on 104th Avenue.

I attended both of the public hearings to block the mosques and was shocked at the anger from residents who said that if they built a Mosque in their community, it would attract “terrorism.” One woman testified at the Orland hearing that “Osama Bin Laden would target Orland Park.”

The frenzy of hatred was, sadly, led by leaders of several Christian Churches and by Christians who lived in the community. Fortunately, the Orland Park Village Board led by then Mayor Dan McLaughlin and then Trustee Jim Dodge (now the leading candidate for Orland Park Mayor) fought against the racism and hate, reminding the hostile audience, “These are our neighbors.”

The embrace of Islamophobia by Pekau and all of his candidates he is backing for positions on the Village Board, the Fire District, School District 230 and the local schools in the April 1, 2025 elections continues to ooze out in his local political rhetoric. Pekau’s candidates are not just anti-Muslim and anti-Arab, but they are immoral because of that hatred. (Those candidates should repudiate Pekau.)

But many Americans, sadly, see the face of this racism and instead of rejecting it, accept it. You hear in on talk radio and in social media like on Facebook, one of the worst places for anti-Muslim hatred.

Muslims are no different than anyone else in this country. They are taxpayers, honest business people, and veterans who served in the military to defend this country. Click this link to get more information on Arab and Muslim American military veterans.

For those who do not know about Ramadan, here is a quick overview of this important month:

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a holy month of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. It commemorates the month in which the Quran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.

Key Aspects of Ramadan:

• Fasting (Sawm): Muslims fast from dawn (Suhoor) until sunset (Iftar), refraining from food, drink, smoking, and other physical needs.

• Prayer & Worship: Increased focus on prayer, recitation of the Quran, and attending nightly Taraweeh prayers at mosques.

• Charity (Zakat & Sadaqah): Giving to the less fortunate is highly emphasized.

• Spiritual Reflection: Muslims seek forgiveness, practice self-discipline, and strengthen their faith.

The fast is broken daily at sunset with a meal called Iftar, often beginning with dates and water. The month ends with Eid al-Fitr, a festive holiday marking the conclusion of fasting.

Giving a charity is a foundation of Islam and an important character of being Muslim, but during Ramadan, Muslims give even more, not just to Islamic resources but to Christian, Jewish, and other charities, too.

When I first moved into Orland Park, I remember my neighbor coming up to me and observing, “Have you seen how many Muslims and Arabs are moving into Orland?”

I looked at him and said, trying to be understanding and not being judgmental or mean, “You know I am Arab, Palestinian, right?”

It was a moment of understanding for my neighbor.

Much of what we think sometimes is racism and hate is often just a product of “not knowing.” I don’t want to call it ignorance, but it is a lack of education.

And when you educate those who you might think are angered by hatred or racism, you discover that they are not really driven by hate at all. They are just driven by “not knowing.” Or by a “fear of the unknown.”

People who come up to me often ask, “Are you Muslim?”

I always respond that I am Christian. My mother is from Bethlehem — and then I joke that “Jesus is my cousin.” But I add, “I am Muslim by culture. Islam is a religion of peace. That is exactly what the word “Islam” translates into meaning.

I also point out that my mother, who is from a big Christian family from Bethlehem — the real holy city of Christianity, not the steel city — would always use the word “Allah” to speak about God. The word “Allah” is merely the Arabic translation fo the word “God” and is not a “separate God” as many Islamophobes falsely contend to fuel their hatred.

When my mother went to church, she often wore a scarf or Veil over her head, something that might be compared to a Hijab, a head covering worn by many but not all Muslim women.

Yes, there are differences in our cultures. But using the differences to separate and fuel hate is not a moral thing to do.

Understanding is the character of a good person. And I know the majority of Christians, Jews, and non-Muslims are good people.

Be a good person. Don’t be judgmental. Don’t embrace stereotypes. Live by our principle to treat everyone equally and fair.

Begin by saying the words when you meet a Muslim, “Ramadan Kareem.” That phrase simply means a “Generous Ramadan.”

Generosity. In spirit, In Intent. And in a true sense of humanity.