Muslims in Colorado observe ‘solemn’ Ramadan in shadow of war

DENVER — As she sits down to break her fast each night of Ramadan —the holy month where Muslims around the world slow down, celebrate and reconnect with God by fasting during the day — Reema Wahdan reflects on the privilege she holds choosing to fast while others are starving.

Wahdan, director of the Colorado Palestine Club, said Ramadan in 2024 feels harrowing.

The Israel-Hamas war and ongoing bombing and starving of Muslims in Gaza is nearing its sixth month following the terror attacks of Oct. 7, in which Hamas attacked Israel.

“While we have the pleasure of eating food, they are completely denied that basic human right and that’s an overwhelming sense of guilt on our conscience,” Wahdan said of Gazans. “It’s paralyzing to know that when our sunset starts and we have the privilege of eating food, our brothers and sisters in Palestine are on the brink of, or are currently in, famine.”

The Islamic Networks Group describes the month-long holy celebration as “commemorating the revelation of the Qur’an, and fasting from food and drink during the sunlit hours as a means of drawing closer to God and cultivating self-control, gratitude, and compassion for those less fortunate.”

The observance period is the holiest month of the Islamic calendar and is honored by fasting all day and breaking fast with the community over dinner, known as Iftar.

Muhammad Kolila, imam of Masjid Al-Shuhada' (Downtown Denver Islamic Center) said Ramadan gives Muslims a chance to reflect and contemplate God, as well as celebrate with their families and loved ones.

“Muslims have a very strong tradition of finding solace and trusting god enough that when there's a lot of suffering, we are doing our best,” Kolia said.

“But God doesn’t judge the results, he judges our intentions and the work that we do,” he said.

Rep. Iman Jodeh, a Democrat state representative from Aurora and spokeswoman for the Colorado Muslim Society, said Ramadan feels much more solemn this year because of the violence in Gaza, where more than 30,000 civilians have been killed. Meanwhile, the world's leading authority on hunger said hundreds of thousands of Palestinians face famine.

“This is really hard for Muslims to see during a month where we should be focusing on faith, community and our fasting,” said Jodeh, who is Palestinian and has family members in the West Bank.

“Instead, we are grieving, we are mourning, we are distracted from our obligations to Ramadan because we are doing everything in our power to hold those accountable to make change,” she said.

As a government official, Jodeh said she feels a unique obligation to use her position to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.

“We are going at this with every angle possible to make sure our voices are being heard, that we are incredibly unapologetic about what we’re calling for,” Jodeh said.

“We’re putting pressure on decision makers that have the responsibility to represent the wants of their constituents in Colorado.”

In December, Jodeh and other lawmakers called for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war along with the return of Israeli hostages. Former Democratic representative Jonathan Singer, who is Jewish, signed the letter and called for a diplomatic solution.

Singer emphasized that he understood the importance of calling Israel “our home” for Jews and said, “the Palestinian people have also experienced displacement and deserve a sovereign state to call their own home,” CPR reported.

Jodeh has additionally called for Colorado’s federal delegation to push for conditioning aid to Israel and said she often feels lonely being the sole Muslim and Palestinian lawmaker in the state legislature.

“I understand that as a state body, we focus on state issues and that we have a congressional delegation who votes and has a say on foreign policy,” Jodeh said. “But the severity of what's going on in Gaza has almost been the exception to the rule when it comes to what I can do as a state legislator.”

A February poll from the Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that half of U.S. adults feel Israel’s military response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack have “gone too far.” Pollsters have not conducted a poll specific to Colorado.

Protestors have rallied in support for Gaza around Denver, disrupted the state legislature, and demonstrated outside Governor Jared Polis’ State of the State speech.

During Ramadan, Jodeh said, Muslims are encouraged to take extra care for those in need and pray for people struggling around the world. The month is just as much about solidarity with those in need as it is about reconnecting with god, Jodeh said.

“All of those things are constant in our faith, but during Ramadan, we have a chance to feel a little bit more impactful,” she said.

“When you’re fasting, you redirect that energy to something that we have the opportunity to amplify, whether it’s your connection with God or taking that time to spend in community.”

And fasting to empathize with those less-fortunate, Jodeh said, has taken a new meaning while watching starvation in Gaza.

“Being actually starved, that is outside of the obligatory fasting of Ramadan, makes it really difficult to honor the joyous month this is supposed to be when it comes to watching what's happening in Gaza,” Jodeh said. “For every Muslim everywhere, this month feels more solemn.”

Kolia, who hopes to build coalitions with the Jewish community to fight against hate, said the issue in Gaza is not about religion, and religious people should work together for solutions.

“There is overlap between antisemitism and Islamophobia,” he said. “We want to create a dominant narrative that Muslims and Jews are fighting the hate together.”

Alison Berg is a reporter for Rocky Mountain PBS. Alisonberg@rmpbs.org.