The founders of the Share Ramadan project are encouraging Muslims up and down the country to encourage their non-Muslim neighbours, colleagues and friends to get involved in the fasting experience.
Share Ramadan was set up by three Muslims from Oldham – Hushyiar Ali, Nanu Miah and Kabir Ahmed – and is now a global phenomenon thanks to the power of social media.
Share Ramadan works in three simple steps: 1. A Muslim challenges his friend, neighbour or work colleague of another faith or no faith to fast for a day. 2. They invite them to come and break the fast in their house. 3. They upload a photo or video on social media using the #ShareRamadan hashtag and nominate five Muslim friends to do the same.
The idea behind “Share Ramadan” came about after the frustration that the founders felt with the way Muslims were seen and treated by the media. They wanted to project the true and positive side of Islam and took advantage of the power of social media to spread the message of love, giving and spirituality.
Share Ramadan is now in its third year and has now gained a global audience and following. Thousands of people are participating all over the world from US, Canada, Australia, India and many other countries.
Hundreds of video diaries and pictures have been uploaded onto social media with around a million video views on social media collectively on the Share Ramadan Facebook page.
Neil Jones, a Maths teacher from the UK who took part last year and became so inspired he did it for a full week, said: “I had Iftar at a different house each and everyone received me very positively and were happy to see me. I feel like I am now equipped with the tools to dispel any misconceptions and understand the people I work with in my work place.”
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Muttaqi, a student from Finland who invited his friend Mark, commented on social media: “I am glad someone came up with this idea, I have always found it difficult to explain why we fast and this sharing of Ramadan gives my friend a better understanding.”
