US special for Ramzan - Fast-a-Thon!

In an effort to raise awareness about Islamic rituals and customs, non-Muslim students from over 150 colleges and universities across the US and Canada fasted for a day during the ongoing Islamic holy month of Ramzan.

The nationwide event titled 'Fast-a-Thon', held on October 26, gave Muslim students the opportunity to teach their non-Muslim peers about Ramzan, the Islamic holy month, when believers fast from dawn to dusk, the US Information Agency reported.

The annual event, organised by the Muslim Students Association, was also a chance for students from all communities to come together for a good cause.

For every non-Muslim who participates in the event, local businessmen donate money to 'soup kitchens' and other community organisations that help feed the hungry.

Zeenah Khader, a Fast-a-Thon co-chair at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, said the event reminds people about those who go hungry every day.

"It is a great time for inner reflection and a type of meditation," Khader said. "When you are fasting, you abstain from any type of food, liquid, sex, smoking, and try your best to keep your mind in a serene state. This spiritual cleansing also serves as a reminder of how others who are not as fortunate as we are."

The Fast-a-Thon is in its third year with more Muslim Student Associations joining each year. During the 2003 edition, 130 colleges and universities participated and donations to help the hungry in American and Canadian cities totaled more than USD 46,000. In 2004, the event spread to 154 campuses, the report said.