William Paterson University Dining Service plans to have an event for Ramadan at all dining locations on campus. 

What is Ramadan? 

Ramadan (also spelled Ramadhan) is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and is considered one of the holiest months for Muslims. 

During this month, Muslims around the world fast from dawn until sunset. The fast involves abstaining from food, drink, smoking, and intimate relations during daylight hours.

“So this month, it lasts for 30 days, depending on, like, you know, the sun and everything,” Moussa Toure, a Junior social work major and devout muslim student added, “We fast from sunrise to sundown, and this is a complete dry fast. So we abstain from all the foods and everything of temptations, like, you know, lust, all of these things. And that’s all due after, like, you know, after. We break fast. Now you’re able to engage in a halal manner. So that’s essentially what Ramadan is. It’s essentially your whole life, every single day, for a month, worshiping God and seeking those blessings and those guidances.”

Why is it important that William Paterson is conscious of Ramadan?

William Paterson is a strong supporter of DEI (Diversity Equality and Inclusion), and the muslim culture in America is on the rise. 

“When we first conducted a study of Muslim Americans in 2007, we estimated that there were 2.35 million Muslims of all ages (including 1.5 million adults) in the U.S. By 2011, the number of Muslims had grown to 2.75 million (including 1.8 million adults). Since then, the Muslim population has continued to grow at a rate of roughly 100,000 per year, driven both by higher fertility rates among Muslim Americans as well as the continued migration of Muslims to the U.S” according to a study done by PEW Research Center. 

“Since freshman year, I haven’t really met that many Muslims,” Toure told The Beacon, “But each semester, as I continue coming to college, I’ve seen an increase in the Muslim population. There’s actually so many more Muslims here than I realized that we do need accommodation in the same way too, in the same manner, how they accommodate. The folks for like LGBTQIA and things like that, the Muslims need the same level of accommodation as well, because we are a growing factor as well as the Christians may need accommodation as well. So if we’re actually talking about this diversity, equity and inclusion thing, and we want to actually implement it and apply it.”

Since the muslim culture is on the rise on our campus it is important that William Paterson Dining Services makes sure students that celebrate Ramadan are provided necessary accommodations.

What will William Paterson’s dining services do in observance of Ramadan?

Wayne Dining Halls’s hours of operation on Friday and Saturday end at 7:00 P.M.  

With muslims fasting from March 1 through March 29, these shorter hours on the weekends could be problematic for them. This caught William Peterson Dining Services’ attention and they knew they had to accommodate that. 

For those who observe Ramadan William Paterson Dining created a form allowing students to pre-order meals for pickup. 

“Dining Services will be offering special meals for pickup for the Ramadan holiday. To place a request for the weekends, please use this form below,” Myranda Louis Jean, M.S.Ed. Director, Student Diversity and Inclusion said in a statement sent out to students. 

If a student takes advantage of this order form they must submit the form to Dining Services by 5:00 P.M. on Thursdays. Meal pickup will be from 4 P.M. to 7 P.M. on Fridays and Saturdays. 

In addition to offering a pre-order form for the dining hall, a variety of halal food will be available throughout campus. 

Lamb shawarma wraps and bowls and halal chicken will be available seven days per week at the W-Store from  6 P.M. to 12 A.M. 

Dates will also be offered at Starbucks, Einstein Bros Bagels, and Wayne Dining Hall for $1.50.  

How does this impact William Paterson’s students?

Halal foods being offered to all students allows them to experience different cultures which is one thing that separates William Paterson from many other universities in the area. 

“So for other individuals that don’t necessarily believe in God, you know, but gets to experience the fact that this is what God says is good, we, in fact, see that as a blessing as well,” Toure told The Beacon, “So then we say Alhamdulillah to that statement, because for you to not necessarily be a Muslim, but to still be tasting the sweets and the fruits of Islam. So it’s a blessing.”

Non-Muslim students are taking notice of the diversity on campus as well. 

“I feel really good that a school like William Paterson is willing to look at people in their different backgrounds, different ethnicities and different cultures and different religions,” AJ Tierney a freshman sports management major told The Beacon, “I think it’s awesome that William Patterson does this. I like the fact that the dining hall is doing something for these group of people, the Muslims. And I really do think that it’s great, especially because this is, like, one of the very few schools that does this in America.”

William Paterson University Dining Services was unable to comment on the details of this event at this time. 

Ramadan Mubarak!