By EMILY BRENNAN
FOR the past three years, Aman Ali, 27, a comedian from Ohio, has spent Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting (it begins this year on July 20), visiting a different mosque every night. With Bassam Tariq, a photographer, he has documented their journeys on their blog, 30 Mosques in 30 Days. In 2009, they covered mosques in New York City. The next two summers, they hit all 50 states, going from the East Coast to Anchorage.
“Our mission wasn’t to promote Islam or change perceptions of it,” Mr. Ali said. “We just wanted to tell stories about Muslims.”
Here are edited excerpts from a conversation with Mr. Ali on traveling during Ramadan.
Q. Before starting your blog, you spent Ramadan in Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Egypt. Is that a good time to visit countries with large Muslim populations?
A. It’s a fantastic time because the celebrations after sunset, when the fast is broken, are so vibrant. In Mecca, people set up picnics on the ground of Masjid al-Haram, the mosque surrounding the Kaaba. And in open-air markets around Marrakesh, Morocco, sellers open their booths and invite you in to share their meals. I remember walking through Jemaa el Fna, the city’s largest square, and a mosque had set up a tarp outside its doors and passed around dates, bowls of lamb soup, lentils, mint tea. You couldn’t pass by without joining them. Even when tourists explained they weren’t Muslim, they’d insist, “Sit, break bread with us, have this, have that.”
Q. Any practical concerns for travelers during Ramadan?
A. Tourists, of course, are not expected to fast — even Muslim travelers are exempted, according to tradition. Restaurants get very busy this time of year, so I suggest calling ahead for reservations and avoid making them the hour that fast is broken. After abstaining from food and water all day, people get a little testy, so it’s a courtesy for you to let them eat right away. Businesses may close a bit earlier or shut briefly for prayers during the day, but otherwise it’s normal working hours.
Q. How are Ramadan celebrations different in the United States?
A. It’s the same open, welcoming spirit, but there are incredible regional and ethnic differences state to state. The Albanian Islamic Cultural Center in Staten Island, for instance, broke fast with kebab and seasoned breads, but then the Atlanta Masjid of al-Islam, a largely African-American mosque, served catfish, collard greens and macaroni. The food there was phenomenal, and I remember, after the night prayer, everyone sang nasheeds a cappella, while this guy drummed on the table.
During our 2010 road trip, we came across the first mosque built in the United States — in Ross, N.D. I had always assumed the country’s first mosque was in New York or Chicago, but, no, it was out on this barren grassland. The original structure was built in 1924 by Syrian and Lebanese farmers who settled out there after the Homestead Act, and now stands this stone 20-by-20-foot mosque with mini-minaret pillars at each corner — literally a little mosque on the prairie.
Another mosque I loved was Dar al Islam, a retreat center in Abiquiu, N.M., which sits a quarter-mile high on a mesa. It’s made of adobe, designed by the Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy, so it has this wonderful Native American feel.
Q. For non-Muslims interested in visiting some of these mosques, do you have any recommendations?
A. I suggest calling ahead so that there’s someone who can show you around, take you to the prayer room and talk you through the service (prayers are in Arabic, but most mosques give talks in English). There’s no strict dress code — jeans and T-shirts are fine — but avoid closefitting clothing, and some mosques might prefer non-Muslim women to wear head scarves, which they’d provide. Friday, Saturday or Sunday evenings have the most activity, and Ramadan is the best time of year to visit because you really get a sense of the community.
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