The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

What is Iftar? How refugees break fast during Ramadan

As the Holy month of Ramadan comes to a close, many Muslims are breaking fast and celebrating Eid al-Fitr, the holiday that marks the end of Ramadan. All month, those celebrating Ramadan have been fasting during the day and having Iftar at night. But what is Iftar, and how are refugees around the world celebrating? 

Iftar, also known as futoor (the Arabic word for breakfast), is a meal held every day during Ramadan at sunset. Fasting is one of the main pillars of Ramadan, and those observing the holiday do not consume any food or drink between sunrise and sunset. After evening prayer and sunset, Muslims break their fast with Iftar. 

Traditionally, those celebrating Ramadan break their fast by eating three dates, to emulate the way the prophet Mohammed broke his fast. Then, Iftar begins — a celebration with plenty of food, family and friends. Although Ramadan is celebrated across countries and cultures, every region has its specialty traditions and dishes. In Afghanistan, the fast is traditionally broken with dates and shorwa, a stew consisting of meat, kidney beans, chickpeas and vegetables. In Bangladesh, the sweet drink of shorbot is common at the Iftar table, typically made from fruits and flower petals.

However, for those who have been forced to flee, these traditions can be difficult to continue when far from home. Many refugees have limited access to food and supplies, often leaving their Iftar tables bare of the usual drinks and dishes. Separated from their families, Iftar can also be a reminder of those they had to leave behind. 

As we celebrate Eid al-fitr and the end of Ramadan, see how these refugee families are celebrating and finding joy despite their circumstances. 

Nahla 

Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan is home to roughly 80,000 Syrian refugees. Nahla has lived in Za’atari since 2012, after she was forced to flee her home in Syria. She is holding a tray of Ma’amoul, Arabic cookies filled with dates and nuts, that she has prepared to celebrate Eid al-Fitr. Nahla learned the recipe from her mother back when they lived in Syria. Now, living in Za’atari, she passes the recipe on to her own daughters as they prepare to break fast. 

Um Hadi

Um Hadi and her family are celebrating their sixth Ramadan in the Azraq refugee camp in Jordan. They were forced to flee their home in Syria in 2016 after the loss of Um Hadi’s husband. Now, she is the primary guardian for their three children, Hadi, Osama and Shatha. 

As she prepares Iftar for her family, she reminisces about her family back in Syria and celebrating Ramadan with them, “I call my mom every day to check on her.” 

Khadija

“I remember for Ramadan cooking many meals for the Iftar,” shares Khadija, who is internally displaced within Syria. They were forced to flee their home in Homs in 2013 due to intense fighting and have been moving around Syria ever since. Price increases in flour and cooking oil due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine leave many families like Khadija’s struggling to acquire the supplies they need to celebrate Ramadan. 

“I remember for Ramadan cooking many meals for the Iftar,” Khadija says. “Now we can’t afford more than one meal because prices have shot up. Every year – especially during Ramadan – we think it will be the hardest, but it only gets more and more difficult.” 

 

 

Source: USA for UNHCR

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of the Observatory.