As Muslims await Ramadan, Hasna Swid plans to use the holy month to expresses gratitude to her kind neighbors.
Coming to Canada as a refugee, Swid was only 18 when she arrived Alberta with her parents and surviving siblings in January 2018.
“We never expected Canadians to be so nice…” she told Red Deer Advocate.
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Losing her 12-year-old brother in the Syrian war, the family was overwhelmed by the warm welcome they received in Alberta.
Sharing Ramadan Spirits
In a gesture of gratitude to the supporting neighbors, Swid plans to visit her two younger brothers’ classrooms at Annie L. Gaetz School and pass out treats and small gifts to educate the young students about Ramadan.
“It’s a time for charity, to give to the poor and think of others,” said Swid. “I want the community to get to know their Muslim friends.”
The televised footage of the war in Ukraine has brought back bad memories of the kind of violence Swid escaped from. “I know what they are going through, and I wish for them to be safe.”
Ramadan is the 9th month of the Hijri Islamic calendar. It commemorates the first revelation of the Qur’an to Prophet Muhammad.
From dawn until sunset, Muslims refrain from food, drinking liquids, smoking, and engaging in sexual relations).
The Holy month of Ramadan is one of the most significant periods of the Islamic calendar – it is an opportunity to reap the blessings and rewards that this auspicious month brings to all.