The Arabic Flagship Center hosts a Ramadan celebration to help students experience Muslim culture for themselves.
Studying abroad allows students to see the beauty within different communities firsthand, but what if students didn’t need to leave Provo to have that kind of experience? This became a reality at Arabic Flagship’s annual Ramadan celebration on March 20th, 2024. The celebration gave Arabic Flagship students the chance to meet members of the Arab community and participate in ancient traditions, gaining a deeper understanding of the cultures they study every day.
Ramadan, a month-long preparation for the holiday Eid al-Fitr, adheres to one of the five pillars of Islam known as sawm. Meaning “to fast,” sawm encourages Muslims to fast from sunrise to sunset for either 29 or 30 consecutive days, depending on the moon cycle. While observing this pillar, individuals refocus their energy on coming closer to Allah (God) through prayer, studying the Qur’an (scripture), and serving within their community and close circles. Arabic Flagship’s annual celebration teaches students studying Arabic about this holiday by sharing Arab food and insights about Arab culture. This year, the flagship invited a local Muslim family, the Lamanis, to join the celebration.
Laila Lamani, BYU alumna (Political Science BA ’04, Second Language Teaching MA ’08) and Arabic and French teacher at West High School, joined BYU students with her husband and daughter. Wearing traditional Muslim attire, they each shared the value of celebrating Ramadan. Lamani explained that, while fasting, “you learn how to restrain yourself from things and you become way more compassionate.” This practice of restraint makes the after-sunset meal more meaningful as friends and family gather together to end their fast.
By attending the Arabic Flagship Ramadan celebration, Lamani hoped that students could become more acquainted with Muslim culture and thought. To do this, her husband opened the meal with a Muslim call to prayer; as he sang, all conversations were put on hold so students could respect and hear his words.
Following the prayer, students and teachers lined up to try a variety of traditional Middle Eastern foods provided by an Arab family in Salt Lake City. These dishes ranged from baklava to dolma (stuffed grape leaves).
Lamani believes that by teaching students to understand both Arabic language and culture, they will be able to more accurately and fluidly communicate with Arabic speakers. She says, “What’s the point of knowing grammar and vocabulary if you cannot actually communicate with the person? We need to understand each other because if we did, . . . [there would be] less problems in the world.”
Check out the Arabic Flagship Center website to see how to get involved today.