Muslims in the city welcome the beginning of Ramdan

Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is one of the holiest months of the year for Muslims in the city and all over the world.

Traditionally, Muslims – do without food and water – from sunset until a month every day sunset.

In Bay Ridge this weekend, festive Ramadan decorations are a symbol of Islam at the beginning of Saturday, including the Crescent Moon.

Members of the Muslim community are busy with the Alarabi market on the Fifth Avenue Datteln, a traditional meal to break fasting.

“What is really sacred is really sincerely for God,” said Mememen Salem, an Egyptian new Yorker, who has been in Bay Ridge for about three decades. “It washes internally to be a better person, and not only for herself, but also for everyone in the community.”

Ramadan is a spiritual boot camp for Muslims – a holy month in which Muslims pray a lot and read the Koran. They also spend a lot of time in their community – be it in a mosque or every evening with family and friends to break their fasting for iftar meals.

“I am very excited, very happy to finally reach Ramadan for the month. I am very happy to pray in the mosque, ”said David Shyti. “Here in Bay Ridge we have so many Muslims and especially at night we love to come together. We pray together, we eat together, you know, it's a really great time. “

Shyti converted to Islam a few years ago and says that Ramadan makes him easier every year.

Muslims also return something through charity files and volunteer work to do more and get better.

“Fasting is not just about staying away from the food, but also cleaning your soul and ensuring that you stay away from all bad things: curse, get into battles. So I have the feeling that people can take this lesson and are a good person, ”he said. “It only comes once a year, you know, it's only a month – you have to make the best of how we can.”

Ramadan is about faith and unity. To be united with parishioners – regardless of their faith – is what Salem leads during Ramadan.

“The community in general is really inviting and [we’re] Call every member of the community to get together, to join together, to help people in need and to be even better with their neighbors, regardless of what they believe, ”said Salem.

Ramadan will last until March 29 of this year.

In order to welcome a Muslim community member a month, what you should say is “Ramadan Mubarak”, which means “happy Ramadan”.