Sharing food, faith, Muslims dispel fears

About 200 people come together for a Ramadan feast that fills bellies and breaks down stereotypes in equal measure.

By JENNIFER LIBERTO
Published November 9, 2004

[Times photo: Keri Wiginton] Spring Hill residents, from left, Rusha Atfeh, 15, Nareman Amin, 15, and Naseem Akel, 14, wait for the line to shorten before getting more food at the iftar feast at the Hernando County Shrine Club in Spring Hill on Sunday. During the dinner, Muslims talked about Ramadan with non-Muslims, explaining the holy season's significance.

[Times photo: Keri Wiginton] Waseem Elsewaky of Tampa, third from left, serves food with other members of the Muslim community during the feast. Sunday night's event was the largest yet in the county, participants said.

SPRING HILL - With a full belly and a deep breath, Joyce Brown stood and confessed to a roomful of Muslims that she had been a little leery of them.

But the Pasco County resident made the 30-minute drive to the Hernando County Shrine Club on Sunday evening to conquer her fears while learning more and eating with the Muslim community of Hernando County during the high holy days.

"I've had to overcome some fear of Muslims, personally," said Brown, who is a member of Calvary Chapel Worship Center in New Port Richey. "But, I'm glad to see you don't treat your wives as badly as I've heard. And I'd like to know more."

Assuaging fears and combating ignorance about Islam was exactly the goal of the Sunday evening event hosted by the Hernando County Muslim community.

About 200 people, including several out-of-county Muslims and three dozen area non-Muslims, participated in iftar, a large meal that Muslims eat each evening shortly after sunset during Ramadan.

Although it wasn't the first year local Muslims have invited their co-workers, friends, neighbors and politicians to partake in iftar, Sunday night was the largest such event in this county, said Dr. Adel Eldin, a local cardiologist.

Muslims believe Ramadan is the month when God revealed the Koran to Mohammed, an illiterate Arab trader who became the prophet of Islam more than 1,400 years ago. That book commands Muslims to avoid food, drink, smoking and sex from sunrise to sunset for 30 days.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, but it moves around from year to year, since it's based on a lunar calendar. This year it started Oct. 15 in North America and is scheduled to end roughly Saturday evening.

Later in the evening, after breaking their Ramadan fasts, Muslims convene at the mosque for a time of special prayer known as the taraweeh.

Among Muslims, the anticipation of Ramadan is roughly the equivalent of Christians' anticipation of Christmas. Aside from its important spiritual aspects, it is also a time for social gatherings and special foods.

Early Sunday evening, a little after 5:40 p.m., as soon as the call came to mark the sunset, Hernando County Muslims broke their daily fast, beginning with a few dates and some milk and water. Tradition demands that the fast be broken with something sweet and nurturing.

"Sugar is absorbed easily and gives the body most of the nutrients you need, especially when you've not eaten all day," said Ghada Eldin, a Spring Hill mother of three. "Breaking the fast with dates gets you ready for the heavy meal."

And a big meal it was. With women and men segregated on opposite sides of the room, everyone swarmed long buffet tables, despite pleading from one of the organizers, Lance McElmurry, that people should get up table by table.

They munched on pasta, salad, chicken, fish and rice dishes. Dozens of children consumed some 10 boxes of pizza within 20 minutes.

During the dinner hour, Muslims talked openly about Ramadan with non-Muslims, explaining the holy season's significance in their lives.

"For me, it helps me get back to God, because you're always battling the temptations of the world," said McElmurry, who converted to Islam in 1996.

Several female Muslims who had immigrated to Central Florida from the Middle East also talked about how Ramadan inspired nostalgic feelings for homelands, where practicing Islam - from wearing the head scarf, called the "hijab," to praying five times a day - is the way of the masses, and not considered a bizarre anomaly.

"I think for all Muslims, it really gives you that feeling of homesickness," said Mona Hemid, an Egyptian-born Muslim who teaches at the American Youth Academy in Tampa.

Several members of the local Muslim community, including Dr. Aymen Osman, said they've noticed that such community events have been slowly helping to clear up misconceptions about Muslims.

"There are all sorts of barriers, language barriers, with accents, cultural barriers," Osman said. "But we've been working to break those down."

- Times staff writer Jennifer Liberto can be reached at 352848-1434 or liberto@sptimes.com

[Last modified November 9, 2004, 00:26:24]