Ramadan in a Time of COVID-19

We are in the middle of Ramadan right now. It’s considered the holiest month on the Muslim calendar and is believed to be when God revealed the first verses of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad. It’s a time of daily fasting and breaking that fast with community meals as well as prayers at the mosque. All that has changed in the coronavirus pandemic. NMIF correspondent Megan Kamerick spoke with two Muslims in Albuquerque to learn how they are adapting to this new reality.

Correspondent: Megan Kamerick

Guests: Rahim Alhaj, composer and master oud player
Samia Assed, human rights activist and organizer
Khadijah VanBrakle, children’s author

Full Interview:

Further Reading:

Most U.S. Muslims observe Ramadan by fasting during daylight hours – Pew Research Center

A global look inside a Ramadan dampened by coronavirus – National Geographic

Muslims Around The World Face A Different Kind Of Ramadan – NPR

Ramadan prayers, rituals go online – Albuquerque Journal

This story is part of a collaboration with FRONTLINE, the PBS series, through its Local Journalism Initiative, which is funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.