Wednesday, March 22 marks the beginning of Ramadan, a month of prayer, reflection, and fasting for Muslims around the world and here in Chattanooga. I write to share the attached informational flyer I created to spread awareness about how this month may affect our Muslim students and colleagues. Especially as we reach the end of the semester, faculty should know that students who participate in fasting may need extra support to complete their work.
Additionally, the end of Ramadan, called Eid al-Fitr, is one of the most important Muslim holidays. This year it will occur on April 21 or 22.
If you’d like to learn more about Ramadan, reach out to the UTC Muslim Students Association. Students can connect with the MSA for iftar and other general Ramadan support. I also suggest the resources of Harvard University’s Pluralism Project to learn more about this holiday and how Muslims celebrate it: https://pluralism.org/ramadan-and-eid-al-fitr.
Happy Ramadan to our Muslim community!
Dr. Jaclyn A. Michael
Assistant Professor of Religion
Department of Philosophy and Religion
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga