As Ramadan continues, Ohio University has made sure to provide quality meals and support services to Muslim students who need them.
In the Islamic religion, Ramadan is a holy month of fasting where observers are expected to refrain from food or drink during daylight hours, sexual activity and other “immoral” behavior. Observers are also expected to engage in communal prayer and readings of the Quran, Islam’s holy book.
This year, Ramadan lasts from the evening of Feb. 28 to the evening of March 29.
Although a small percentage of students are Muslim, the university has instituted several dining hall policies to ensure these students have access to food that fits their needs.
Isatou B Secka, an international Muslim doctoral student focusing on educational leadership, said resources including the Cats Cupboard and Community Food Pantry have been useful during this time.
Mutarr Jallow, the culinary services production manager, said there are options available to students who need a meal before dining halls open.
“One of the accommodations includes the provision of a pre-fasting meal (Suhoor),” Jallow wrote in an email. “Students can make arrangements with the dining hall to receive a fresh, ready-to-pick-up meal early in the morning, as it is essential for Muslims to eat before sunrise.”
Islam also has dietary laws, known as Halal, which require Muslim people to eat only animals that have been slaughtered humanely and refrain from eating pork or pork products.
Jallow explained that Halal food is easy to find and available to any student with a meal plan.
“Muslim students have the option to request Halal meals in advance, which are freshly prepared and ready to pick up,” Jallow said. “Furthermore, at Central Foods Facility, we ensure that pork and pork-related foods are clearly labeled, as they are not permissible for Muslim students.”
Jallow said Muslim student employees are also given time and a space to pray during their shifts if needed.
Secka emphasized how beneficial she thinks dining hall Ramadan provisions are to students who observe it.
“It is really commendable because that (helps) Muslim students to have that opportunity for them to somehow find what they would want to eat,” Secka said. “That is a very good initiative, and it is also a way of including Muslim students into the menu plans.”
Since coming to OU, Secka said university staff have consulted her on how to best approach Islamic dietary restrictions and provide parts of international students’ homes to the university.
Secka also said the food pantries on campus are great for providing Muslim students with Halal dietary options that do not cost money, whether during Ramadan or not.
Going forward, Secka said she would like an orientation for Muslim students new to the university where dining hall staff can explain what unfamiliar foods may have pork products or do not align with Halal dietary standards.
“We do not know that pepperoni is made out of pork,” Secka said. “It’s a little bit later that you would know (the ingredients of unfamiliar foods), or you could meet with someone, and they will tell you, ‘OK, you arrive here when you go to the dining hall. Don’t eat this. Don’t eat that. Don’t do that.’”
Overall, Secka said OU has been an extremely accepting and welcoming place where she and other Muslim students feel comfortable praying and openly practicing their religion.
“I think I feel more comfortable in my hijab at Ohio University than anywhere in the U.S.,” Secka said. “Even sometimes when you are invited for dinner or when you are invited for certain events, the consideration is done as to what you should eat, making sure that you don’t eat pork, so sometimes people go out of their way just to make you feel so comfortable, even at their own discontent.”
