Ramadan Kareem!

جمعة مباركة ومضان كريم يا شبابي الحلوين 

نبدأ اليوم الشهر المقدّس الإسلامي رمضان وفي أغرب الظروف أنا عشتها أبدا. بسبب الوباء المنتشر في البلدان العربية والإسامية وحول العالم لن نرى الصوّر العادية لمسلمين مجتمعين مع عائلاتهم لصلوات أو إفطارات في نهايات الأيام الطويلة من صوم. لن يكون عندنا الفرصة لنحتفل هذا الشهر مع أصدقائنا المسلمين ألا بالإنترنت أو عبر الفونات. 

Jumu'ah mubaraka and Ramadan kareem to my sweet shabab,

We begin today the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, and in the strangest circumstances I've ever lived through. On account of the pandemic spreading in Arab and Islamic countries and around the world, we won't see the ordinary pictures of Muslims gathering with their families for prayers or iftars at the end of long days of fasting. We won't have the opportunity to celebrate this month with our Muslim friends, except for over the Internet and phones. 

أعرف أنّ لكم واجبات مدرسية ومنزلية ولكن أشجعكم في وقت فراغكم على قراءة مقالات عن هذا الشهر الفريد. كيف يعيش  العالم الإسلامي دون تقاليده المهمة؟ كيف ي/تغيّر المسلم/ة العادي/ة طريقة حياته/ها؟ نحن الآن في مرحلة تاريخية فريدة من نوعها فيها كلّ شيء يتغير. سنرى هذه التغييرات في أماكن غير متوقعة مشاهد لم نر من قبل وممكن لن نرى فيما بعد.

I know that you have school and home responsibilities, but I encourage you in your free time to read some articles about this unique month. How is the Islamic world living without its important traditions? How is the average Muslim changing his or her way of life? We are now in a historical period that is one of a kind, in which everything changes. We will see these changes in unexpected places and scenes that we have not seen before, nor may never see again. 

كذلك أشجعكم على أن تدعموا وتساعدوا مجتمعنا المسلم هنا في ميزولا خلال هذه الفترة المضيقة. كثير من لاجئينا فقدوا عملهم أو ساعات عمل فسيكون لهم صعوبة في إعطاء عيديات لأولادهم أو توفير الأكلات للإفطار. ليس لي أي أفكار معينة الآن لكني أريدكم أن تحفظوا في بالكم المسلمين المزوليين الذين يعيشون في عصر الكرونا مثلكم

I also would encourage you to support and help our Muslim community in Missoula during this stressful period. Many of our refugees have lost jobs or hours, so they'll have difficulty giving Eid presents to their children or providing food for iftars. I don't have any specific ideas now, but I want you to keep Muslim Missoulians in mind who are living through the age of Corona as you are. 


هنا بعض المقالات المتعلقة برمضان من وكالة الجزيرة
Here are some Ramadan-related articles on Al Jazeera news

 رمضان مبارك لكل من يحتفل به وتحيات حارّة من عائلتي لعائلتك
Ramadan Mubarak to all who celebrate it and warm greetings from my family to yours

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