I have never been good at fasting. Maybe it comes from being a fat kid, but self-control has never been my strong suit. My blood sugar gets low, my hands get shaky, and I start to obsess about what I’m going to eat next. I’m not proud of this, but I tend to politely check out when preachers talk about fasting in church.
As you may know, during the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to dusk. They take a small meal in the morning and in the evening, but for the most part, they don’t eat during the day. Now, I’ve heard that this is much harder to do when somebody is living in Philadelphia versus when they are living in the Middle East. For one thing, Philadelphia has more daylight hours during Ramadan than many countries in the Middle East do. More than that, however, there is a positive social pressure in the Middle East that affirms fasting during Ramadan. It’s easier to fast when everybody else around you is doing it. When your classmate is eating a cheesesteak in front of you, that’s much tougher.
Salim is a friend of mine and former student. He is from Yemen, a country in the Middle East. He’s a stocky guy with a thin beard and a sharp intellect. When you meet Salim, you can tell he’s the kind of guy who thinks about the things that he says before he says them (this is another quality I lack). I met Salim while I was teaching TOEFL English at a university in Philadelphia. During the time I taught him, it was my first experience interacting with Muslim students during the month of Ramadan. I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I mean, I know I have trouble going to class on an empty stomach; how could I expect my students to do this for a month?
Some students were quite sluggish (I don’t blame them), but not Salim. This guy already was academically gifted, even before Ramadan--he was definitely had the best English of anybody in the class--and if I didn’t see him stay in the classroom during lunch, I wouldn’t have known he was fasting. He wasn’t lethargic, and he seemed as alert and attentive as he was before the holy month. Not only did his performance not suffer during Ramadan, he was consistent to his beliefs and his principles, and he followed those principles even when it was hard--with Philly’s long days and predominantly non-Muslim culture. I read somewhere that real integrity means that you are the same person, even when nobody is watching, and I believe that this describes Salim excellently.
As such, I thought Salim would be a great first interview for Names and Faces, Hearts and Minds. For more information on this project, see the blurb at the end of this blog entry.
Below are Salim’s answers. Enjoy!
1. What do you want people to know about Yemen?
Yemen has always been a good place for all people. Jews, Christians and Muslims live alongside with each other in great coexistence for centuries. Yemen is a rich country in terms of its history, heritage and its old civilizations.
2. What's one useful word in Yemeni Arabic you would like people to know? What does it mean?
“Mocha” is the name of an old port in Yemen where the first kinds of coffee were exported.
3. How and why did you get to the US? What challenges did you have to face in coming here?
I am here to pursue my education to contribute, later, in shaping Yemen to be a better place. The biggest challenge I encountered was integrating into American culture and society.
4. What do you miss about Yemen?
I really miss my family and friends (back home), since I have been in the US for two years.
5. What you like about living in the US?
The thing I admire most about the US is its diversity. I have friends from different parts from around the globe.
6. What thing is most important to you? Why?
It is important to me to be surrounded by good friends who help and support you during your life’s journey.
7. What do you value most? Why?
What I value most is being a human, regardless of one's race, gender, religion or language. This is because we are all one.
8. What is your favorite food? Describe it for people who may be unfamiliar.
My favorite Yemeni food is Mandi; it is rice with meat (lamb or chicken) which is cooked in a sort of tandoori.
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This is the first installment in Names and Faces, Hearts and Minds, a project in which I interview people from countries affected by Trump’s travel ban. Early last week, passport holders from Yemen, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Iraq, Iran and Somalia were prohibited entry to the United States until the government can devise an “extreme vetting” system for immigrants from these countries. While
it is not being called a Muslim ban, the president has said that Christian refugees will be granted visa priority (making it a de facto ban on Muslims from these countries). At the time of this writing, a federal judge has declared a temporary pause on the enforcement of this ban, saying it causes immigrants and refugees irreparable harm to be deported back to conflict zones in their home country. Passport holders from these countries already in the United States (like Salim) are hesitant to return home for fear they won’t be let back in the US.
Names and Faces, Hearts and Minds seeks to personalize people affected by this event (and other marginalized immigrants). It is my hope that if we see people as individuals and not as a faceless enemy, we can make the world a better place. If you know anybody who is interested in being interviewed for this project, please get in touch with me via private Facebook message or email at mandarinshifu@gmail.com. Thanks!
Finally, I passionately believe in dialogue. I do not believe in Facebook flame wars. If you want to continue the conversation, please do so in a respectful manner. Rather than have an extended conversation on one of our walls, I would much rather give you a call, send you a Skype message or meet you for coffee. This is a better use of both of our time.
Photo Credits: picture of Salim by Salim Bin Ghouth, picture of Mandi from Mandi recipe on recipesaresimple.com
