Ramadan Mubarak!
Every year, millions of Muslims around the world observe a month known as Ramadan. The time of this month changes as we follow a lunar calendar and I am excited to share that Ramadan starts this week.
Here’s a little bit of what you can expect for those in your life who are Muslim and choose to fast:
Fasting from sunrise to sunset: In our home, we wake up before the sunrise and eat a snack, chug some water and state our intention that we will fast for the day. Generally, we go back to sleep afterwards and then wake up to start our work day. Feel free to refer to a prayer calendar here to get a sense of times (that’s a link specific to Portland sunrise and sunset times).
In a pre-social distancing era month, we would gather in the evening, celebrate and eat together. We pray and often the mosque is open through the night as Muslims observe Tarawih (night prayers). In most Muslim countries, businesses and workplaces have limited hours during the day so fasting is much easier to manage.
Reflection: For me, fasting is a time to self-discipline. It reminds me to be in the moment more than usual. I find myself being more cautious about what I say and do because it’s not just about refraining from eating and drinking. It’s about being respectful, using appropriate language, not talking badly about others, engaging in gossip - these things may seem relatively minor but I am more thoughtful about my day-to-day moments.
Many of you have asked me about who engages in fasting and this is a tricky question. Different people have various standards for how they decide. My daughter who is six seems keen on fasting. I support this but I know how she gets when she’s hungry so I am hesitant on whether we’ll let her join us. Generally speaking, if you are a healthy individual with no medical conditions, the idea is that you fast. Children who have reached puberty can fast if they choose. There are many exceptions for people such as being sick, having a condition and most importantly, for women who are menstruating, they will not fast.
Let’s talk about the unpredictability of the first day of Ramadan and Eid (the religious holiday that marks the end of fasting). Since our calendar is based on the moon, Muslims around the world determine the beginning and end of Ramadan based on the observation of the moon. Different folks within the Muslim community have varying interpretations of what that looks like. Many communities in the United States have asked for expertise from different organizations who will advise on moon sighting. Often times, in one part of the world, the moon is sighted but in another part, it is not. This usually leads to various parts of the world celebrating Ramadan on differing days. Even in Portland, some mosques may take the lead of Saudi Arabia’s plans while others may follow Pakistan. So, if your friend or colleague says, I am taking off a few days - it’s likely because they aren’t sure which day Eid will be!
Last but not least - my favorite part of Ramadan is the togetherness. In my childhood, I remember going to family and family friends’ houses to break our fasts together. I also loved going to the mosque in the evenings for prayers. In this time of social distancing, I am sad that I will not be able to gather with family and friends. I am hopeful that we will all get to be together soon. Until then… Ramadan Mubarak (happy Ramadan) to you!
Running for Office
As I get ready to settle into my city councilor life, I imagine the path that got me here and how hard it’s been managing kids, parents, siblings, my marriage and my career. It hasn’t been easy but I am so excited to serve my residents and even more thrilled to watch my kids engage in government in a way I never thought possible.
I believe in the power of sharing so will share my insight into how I got here and hope this wisdom will help you as you decide whether you want to run for office:
Prepare your Family: We had a family meeting to discuss my running for office - there’s a different attention you get when you are a candidate. It also changes for your family too so having buy-in from the people who are close to you so they are excited is important. When I didn’t have the time and energy to do bedtime with my kids, they always knew that mommy was trying to win city council. And I can’t tell you how much I beamed when my daughter wrote she wanted to be a city councilor when she grew up.
If you are running for office, imagine four areas of expertise you need to be successful: endorsements, communication, field and money. Each of these requires varying skill sets and as you build your kitchen cabinet (strategy team of folks who will help you win), consider finding a person that can help with each one. The communication area is one of the larger ones as it encompasses writing a voters statement, building your social media presence, designing graphics and photos (at least this was for us as we campaigned during COVID). Field is an equally large one in a non-COVID time as you are out knocking doors and targeting your key voters.
Photography: It’s great to start a library of photos that represent you. Whether it’s photos of you in the community or family photos you feel comfortable sharing, make sure to have a diverse set of photos. If this means doing a photo shoot with a friend and having ten outfit changes, I promise it’ll be worth it as you use photos for various purposes in your campaign and in your elected life.
Prepare your Mental Strength: When we released our promotional video on Facebook and promoted it on social media, I got some pretty nasty comments. I knew I would get some hate for running for office but I didn’t imagine that I would need to hide more comments than less. Even as I prepare to get sworn into office, I find it laughable the messages I receive.
It’s been such a learning experience navigating the political arena - I hope some of the tips above will help you and look forward to more individuals running for office.